Digital Quickening
by Mimi Myself and Iz
Summary: A Digimon twist on the Highlander Universe. After the battle with Apocalymon, the DigiDestined return home. However they run into trouble. They must find a way home in any possible way. However, the price home is as shocking as what they have become.
1. Shinka - (Hikari's POV)

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Author's Note: **THIS SERIES HAS ABSOLUTELY NO RELATION TO MY OTHER STORIES.** **As usual: Really goofy dialogue, poor vocabulary, poor spelling, poor grammar, poor verb tense, and SOUND EFFECTS!** There is a mismatch of Japanese and English names for the characters and Digimon. I rather it be Gatomon instead of Tailmon. The song is from the video game soundtrack _Soul Edge_ (or _Soul Blade_) performed by KHAN. Reviews are welcomed.** This is a work in progress that requires A LOT of work.**

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WARNING: I am a very humble fan of Highlander. In other words, I still think _Highlander 2_(the RENEGADE VERSION of course!) was… um… COOL! (Dodges various thrown objects) Hee hee. That says it all of what kind of Highlander fan I am. The usual _rules_ for the Quickening applies. In other words… THEY WILL LOSE THEIR HEADS!

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Important Note: **This story is a new expansion from a short Digimon fiction I wrote back in November 1999 that I never finished or released.** **I have now included Yagami, Hikari into the story.** If there is anything in this story that resembles anyone else's work, I apologize. I will remove this fic if necessary. **I am still trying to strive for originality, which is hard. Now there are over 10,000 fics in the Digimon Section on FF.net!** Most I have not read. As usual, my work pales in comparison to the other great work done by much better authors.

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This story takes place in Season 01; the DigiDestined have defeated Apocalymon. The Digital World is undergoing the Great Reset. They are about to leave the Digital World to their home in the real world. Hikari's POV.

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Disclaimer: I do not own Digimon, Highlander, or Soul Edge.

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Digital Quickening: Shinka

by Mimi, Myself, & Iz.

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I'm standing here, after all is said and done,  
Wondering what I've undone.  
A new moon rises on the horizon,  
Lighting the fields, smiling my way,  
She knows I'll soon be gone...  


Finding my way back home,  
I'm given life in strange lands.  
Finding my way back home.  
Travelling souls...  
Changing,  
Changing hands...  


We take so long, shedding all the shells and stones,  
Coming down off our thrones.  
If only we, from the moment we are born,  
Could let it be, just let it free,  
Free roses from her thorns...  


Finding our way back home,  
Can't be too hard, only if we knew.  
Trying to make it home,  
Got to be there, inside of you.  


Finding our way back home,  
We're given life in strange lands.  
Trying to make it home.  
Travelling souls...  
Changing,  
Changing hands...  


If only you knew for sure…  
How beautiful you could be,  
How pure...  
Like I do...  


Finding our way... finding our way...  
Finding our way... back home...  
Travelling souls...  


Excerpts from the song **_Our Way Home_**

Performed by **KHAN  
**Lyrics by **Suzi Kim**  


From the soundtrack **_SOUL EDGE_**  
by **Namco**

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Digital World  
The Great Reset

An eight year old girl… Yagami, Hikari

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A large pink hat carried by the wind…

We were all on the trolley car that was to take us back home. I looked at my travelling companions… There was my brother and courageous leader, Taichi. Next was my long time big sister and loving friend, Sora. Also there was my friend and genius, Koushiro, or _Izzy_ to his friends. I have met new friends in my adventures. There was the reliable and sincere friend, Kido, Jyou. The pure-hearted friend, pink fashioned, and my other big sister, Tachikawa, Mimi. There was also the rebellious, a bit of a rival to my brother, but still a trustworthy friend, Ishida, Yamato. Finally, I also had the privilege to meet my newest friend… the cute and always full of hope, Takeru. _'I am still not too clear why they have different last names if they were brothers. Oh well… I'll ask them or someone else later.'_

We were just ordinary children given a destiny to save two worlds from destruction. I was just a little girl compared to all of my friends. Yet the bond we shared would never be broken. As we were high in the air slowly ascending toward the sun, it felt like some old western as the heroes ride off to the sunset. That was what it might have looked like…

The DigiEclipse was still in effect so we made it in time. From the trolley windows, I could see our Digimon companions racing after us, still saying and waving goodbye. It was really painful to say goodbye, but we had no choice. If we stayed here in the Digital World, the _Great Reset_, as Gennai puts it, will envelop us and turn us into data. We will not exist as human beings but just random pieces of data that will never form together again. I was glad that I wouldn't be _deleted_ as Izzy had first speculated. Koushiro once referred to the Reset as Reboot. Go figure.

Gennai told us that the Reset was unstoppable, we had to leave the Digital World. Only the beings that originated in this world could survive the Reset. It was still sad for us. I already miss Gatomon. I hope that one day we would return to the Digital World once it was restored. To again be with our Digimon companions: Gatomon, Agumon, Gabumon, Tentomon, Gomamon, Piyomon, Patamon, and Palmon as well as the others that have helped us.

Even from afar, I could still see Gennai with our other Digimon friends below too. I was amazed that I saw Ogremon, away from the group, waving his bone club in farewell. I guess he stuck around too to say goodbye. Especially to Tachikawa, Mimi, who saved the virus Digimon's life. Soon Ogremon will be reunited with his eternal rival Leomon once the Reset was completed.

At first I did not understand why Ogremon and Leomon had to fight each other. You know what? I still don't understand it now. _'It was a manner of honor. The balance of two opposing forces,'_ I heard. Jyou and Mimi mentioned to me that the rivalry between Leomon and Ogremon was sort of a necessary clash in the Digital World. It was not necessarily a fight of hatred. It was not necessarily a fight of good versus evil either. It was not because one was a virus and the other a vaccine. It was a just a battle raised between many opposing forces that exist in the universe. I heard Mimi say their battles were one of… _faith_. Not really Ogremon's or Leomon's faith, but for everyone else. I guess I am still too young to comprehend any of this. Maybe someday I would….

Leomon and Ogremon fought many other battles that stretched for many centuries in the Digital World. Once Leomon represented order while Ogremon represented chaos. However, Leomon did not always fight on what we considered as good. In another battle, Leomon represented absolute order, or oppression, and Ogremon represented freedom against that oppression. According to what I understood in second grade history, it would be considered Leomon representing something like totalitarianism and Ogremon representing independence. No matter what their battles represent, Leomon and Ogremon were equally matched. As always, their climatic clashes caused the deletion of both of them. Once the battle has ended, the two warriors are _reborn_ in the Primary Village. Once in their champion forms, they continue to rage with a new battle. Eternal rivals… yet they both exist for the sake of the Digital World and each other.

Still, when there was a threat to the Digital World, those two must put aside their battles and join forces. Gennai once said that they would work with and protect each generation of Chosen Children. Together they would defend the balance of Digital World. However, for Ogremon, it did not happen. Since Leomon and Ogremon fought each other for so long, they forgot how and what it means to work together. That was why Ogremon felt no hesitation to follow Devimon. Ogremon was so wrapped up in his battle representing chaos that he was easily coerced to work for Devimon than Leomon. It was many digital years later of the Dark Masters tyranny that Mimi made Ogremon understand his purpose when the balance of the Digital World was ever threatened.

Now all Ogremon could do now was wait. Wait for the champion rival to be reborn. How long would he wait? Would the Reset have an effect on this as well? There were still unasked questions as to why Ogremon helped us during our fight with the Dark Masters. Maybe he had no choice after Leomon, in his mega stage, Saber Leomon, gave his life to save Mimi and Jyou. He helped never the less. Now the waiting begins. Sora was wondering if Ogremon would go through some ritual suicide or _seppuku_. Only then would both rivals be reborn at the same time. I shudder at the thought…

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A large pink hat carried by the wind…

Mimi's large pink _cowgirl_ hat had finally soft-landed on the grassy ground far below us. I saw Palmon run to where it landed. She picked it up and held it vertically in front of her. She stood there holding the hat close to her, while the other Digimon were still running after us. Her eyes were closed as if she was savoring the memories that somehow by touching Mimi's hat would give her. I was wondering why Palmon hid herself from Mimi. I thought she did not want to say goodbye to Mimi. I soon realized that it really hurts to say goodbye. It hurt me so when I had to say goodbye to Gatomon.

Losing her beloved pink hat did not faze Mimi, for she was still in content to have finally been able to say goodbye to Palmon. Mimi was next to me. We were both, like the others, watching our friends through the rear end windows together. I finally said to Mimi, "It looks like you might need a new hat, Mimi." My eyes were still fixed on our fading friends as I said this.

I felt her smile. Like me, unable to take her eyes off our Digimon friends. "Well, it is no biggie. I was thinking of starting a whole new Mi-"

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SCREECH!!

We were startled by a loud screeching sound. It sounded like metal scrapping against metal.

"What was that?" Mimi asked.

I returned her confused look. _'Like I had an answer to anything about this place…'_ I just replied, "I don't know, Mimi."

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SCREECH!!

Another loud screeching sound pierced my eardrums… the trolley started to jolt violently…

"OH NO, LOOK! THE GREAT RESET HAS AFFECTED ORBITAL CONFIGURATIONS OF THE DIGITAL UNIVERSE CELESTIAL OBJECTS!" yelled Koushiro.

"LAYMAN, IZZY!" I heard Jyou scream.

"THE GREAT RESET HAS EFFECTED THE ECLIPSE IN AN NOT SO PRODIGIOUS WAY!" Koushiro replied.

I glanced out the window to the direction where Koushiro was peering. Sure enough, there was no eclipse. In fact, the Digital Sun was not where it was before! The sun was now streaking across the sky rapidly! It was rising and setting, then night, then the sun risen… again and again… It was like seeing the days moving in fast forward!

"IZZY, I THOUGHT WE HAD TIME!" my brother asked, trying to be heard over the loud screeching sounds.

"I KNOW, BUT THE RESET WAS UNPREDICTABLE! IT HAS AFFECTED THE SUN AND MOON POSITION TO THE DIGITAL WORLD! EVERYTHING IS BEING THROWN OFF!"

"Oh shit…" I heard Sora muttered.

"We're doomed," Jyou said in a rather unusual calm tone, which was pretty awkward in our current situation.

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SCREEEEEECH!!

The screeching sound was getting louder and louder. I covered my ears tightly and-

"…"

"Hey, the screeching stopped," my brother said.

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BANG!!

There was a violent jolt that shook us to the trolley floor. Then a sudden whoosh within my gut… It was a sudden shift of almost no gravity. It was a sickening feeling… The same feeling I got when I was with Takeru… in our last attempt to escape… _'Oh no… falling… We are falling! No!'_

"WE'RE FALLING!" screamed Jyou.

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"AHHHHHHHHHH!!!"

Everyone was screaming as we all felt the trolley car plummet down to who knows where. _'This can't be happening!'_

I heard someone scream, "TAKERU!" It was Yamato.

"ONIISAN!" Takeru cried.

Yamato managed to reach and grab him. Another jolt shook Takeru off his feet. Still Takeru never gave up and he made his way to Yamato. The two brothers held each other in each other's arms. As much as I had to admit, this boy, Takeru, sure was brave. From what my brother had told me, he had grown up a lot. I felt so obligated to have met him. He and his Digimon… no… it was actually _he_ that saved my life. He was very brave and being the youngest. _'I wished I were brave like him.'_

I could see Takeru was not afraid. He just wanted to be with his brother, as a family. I wanted to be in my brother's arms too. I looked at the far end of the trolley car. Taichi was slowly crawling towards me. It was difficult for him because the trolley car started to shake violently again. He never gave up. He struggled to get to me.

"HIKARI!" he yelled.

"ONIISAN!" I cried to him. I raised my arm to reach him. He was still too far…

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CRASH!!

The trolley car's glass windows shattered! Glass shards flew every where. I could see my friends shield their faces. I felt a hand covering my face. I could feel the slight stinging sensation was the glass shards lightly struck my skin. Then the debris cleared as it were blown out the windows. I heard other lose objects being blown out of the trolley due to the change in the air pressure inside the trolley. The howling of the winds now filled the cabin. I could see the scene out the windows. Layers of clouds were swirling rapidly in all directions. It was if we were caught in a tornado... but that was impossible. _'Were we that high up?'_

"HIKARI!" my brother screamed again.

I opened my eyes. I finally realized that it was Mimi that shielded my face. I looked at her and the others. They were unharmed by the glass. Now we were just hanging on to anything, the railings… seats, anything to keep us from being thrown out of the trolley. My attention focused on my brother. He was again making his way to me.

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BANG!!

Another jolt of the trolley car knocked him back to the other end. He hit his head hard on the control deck. His body became limp. My brother must have been knocked unconscious!

"ONIISAN! NO!" I cried. I could see a nasty lump forming on his forehead. Amazingly his goggles protected him from more serious injuries. Some blood was now seeping down from the wound. Tears were streaming down my face. I wanted to get to him, but I was being held back. I then noticed arms clenched around me. It was Mimi! She was holding me for support to the passenger seat at the back of the trolley. I struggled to get out of her grip.

"MIMI! LET GO! I HAVE TO GET TO MY BROTHER!" I cried, trying to get out of her grasp. Another jolt rocked the car…

Mimi regained her grip around me. "NO, HIKARI! IT IS TOO DANGEROUS! YOU MIGHT GET BLOWN OUT! JUST HOLD ON TIGHT!"

"BUT-" I was about to protest when I heard Mimi whisper in my ear…

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"Do not fear, Hikari. You brother will be all right. Sora is with him."

It was amazing I heard Mimi's whisper despite the screams, the howling winds, and the loud banging noises. I looked back at where my brother lay. Mimi was right. Sora managed to grab my brother and held him tightly for support on the passenger handrails. Despite the shaking trolley, Sora tended to my brother's wound using gauze from her first aid pack. I saw Taichi's eyes slowly open. He was all right! But still I felt I should be with him. I wanted to be with him before we…

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"I don't want to die…"

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"Shhh… Do not worry, Hikari. You are not going to die. Do not think that. Everything will be fine. I promise…"

I somehow felt comfort in her words. I heard a voice say, _"This is all my fault…"_ _I was not sure who said that. Was it I?_

I felt myself moving a bit. _'Was Mimi releasing me?'_ No, her grip was tightly around me. I finally realized that Mimi was trying to get herself and I closer to Taichi and Sora. She held me to support both of us against the winds and shaking of the trolley. She was slowly inching herself and I with the railings that would lead to the front end. She understood my wishes to be with my brother. I learned too she has a little brother… back in the real world. I always felt Mimi to be like an older sister to me, as much as Sora has always been.

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'Thank you, Mimi.'

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"…AGUMON WAAPU-SHINKA…"

I could hear our Digimon digivolving. They were still with us! They were trying to save us from our plummet to the earth. The revving whistle sounds from our Digivices filled the trolley… _'Please, Angewomon… I need you.'_

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"…GABUMON WAAPU-SHINKA…"

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"…PARUMON SHINKA…"

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"…BAADORAMON CHOU-SHINKA…"

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'Help us…'

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"…TENTOMON SHINKA…"

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"…IKKAKUMON CHOU-SHINKA…"

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"…PATAMON SHINKA…"

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'We need you…'

Time seemed to go still as I felt the familiar power building in my heart. It was from my crest I carried within me. The _Crest of Light!_ I felt so alive at first. Then I started to feel it drawing strength from me. I started to feel weak… No… I felt at peace. I managed to hear the voice of Gatomon… before the darkness overcame me…

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"…GATOMON…"

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'Goodbye… Gatomon… my friends… Mother… Father… goodbye Taichi… my brother…'

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"…CHOU-SHINKA…"

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'…oniisan…'

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~~~

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Unknown place  
Unknown time…

"ONIISAN!"

I bolted upright. I tried to catch my breath. My head started to hurt. _'Oh… Was that a dream? Did that incident in the trolley car happen?'_ A sudden dread came over me. _'Was the Digital World all a dream? Was I sick again to have had such a wild nightmare?'_ I took another breath. I was alive sure enough… I am sure I am awake now… I felt a sense of relief… or was it sorrow. _'The Digital world…'_

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'Was it all a dream?'

I finally realized I was in a bed unlike my own. I had no idea how I got here. I looked around. The room I was in reminded me of Sora's home. It had traditional Japanese room designs. Shoji doors and everything! But this room was not anything I had been in at Sora's house before. It was more elaborately decorated. The room was larger than Sora's entire house. On top of that, the bed I was in was a more modern twin-sized bed. It had a plain pillow with white sheets and coverings. The dark blue comforter was designed with strange symbols in black that were a bit familiar. I manage to have a glimpse of the outside through a window at the far end of the room. It looked like it was dawn. Only the light from the window illuminated the room. I could see some hedges outside of the window. It looked like a clear da-

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'Huh? Fishes?'

I couldn't believe it! I just saw a school of fish swimming outside the window! _'Was that a window or an aquarium? What kind of place is this?'_ I looked closely at my surroundings. _'Could it be?'_ The room looked… normal. _'No, wait!'_ There was a strange lightly speckled look to it. The same speckled look that was similar with everything related to the Digital World. _'Was that it? I was still in the Digital World?'_ I felt a bit relieved again. _'At least I was safe.'_ Then it dawned on me. _'What about home? My family? What about my friends? What about my brother?'_

These questions were swimming in my head. I couldn't stand it! I laid back in exhaustion and frustration. I covered my face with my hands. I ignored the unfamiliar touch of my hands… All I could think about was that something was definitely wrong. _'We did not make it home!'_ I felt angry. I bolted out of bed and realized something. I felt naked as stood there. I used my hands to feel where my clothes should be… also my private area… nothing…

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'I AM NAKED!' Without looking at myself of what I was _not_ wearing, all I could think of was… _'Okay now where IS my clothes?'_

I scanned the room for anything that resembled my clothes. I found nothing. I sighed in defeat. An unsettling feeling came over me. _'Okay, who undressed me? What kind of sicko undressed me and stole my clothes?'_ All I could think of was my brother. _'I wouldn't mind that much, but it better not be him! Ugh!'_ I finally calmed down a bit. _'It was probably Sora… or Mimi.'_

My thoughts turned back to my brother and my friends. _'Were they all right? I hope so.'_ I have to find out where am I as well. I had to find my brother and my friends. Hopefully our Digimon too. But first things first… I need some clothes! I can't be wandering anywhere wrapped in a bed sheet!

I noticed that there was a large dresser-like structure at the opposite end of the room. It was a humble cherry-laminate wood structure. It was elaborately decorated with hints of flowers and sorts. A large full-sized mirror was to the left of it. I decided that my clothes or anything that I could cover myself would be in the dresser. As I started to walk toward the dresser, I realized something else that was strange. _'Eh? Why is the ceiling so low?'_ I came to the dresser. Things did not feel right. Everything looked small. I looked down at my feet. The sage colored rugged floor seemed to be far away from me… _'Huh? Why is my feet so… big?'_

Something was definitely strange here. I looked at my feet again. It couldn't be just my feet. I looked at my hands. They were huge! I dread to peer at anything else different about me. For some strange curiosity, I decided to look at my left into the mirror. I looked at the reflection of my body and-

"ACK! WHAT HAPPENED TO ME?" I shrieked.

What I saw in the mirror was nothing I had ever expected or even dreamed of. I was taller! There were bumps on my body I have never had or… _seen_ before! Well, not on me exactly! My shoulders were broader! My hips were… wider! I looked a little more toward my center… Hair… hair… _'Why is there hair down there?'_ I looked away in shock and disgust. Mustering some courage, I slowly I peered back at my reflection. I just concentrated on my face. My face was… older looking! Still it was me… The hair _on my head_ was still short. _'Strange.'_

It finally dawned on me… I was all grown up! I was an adult! I had boobs! _'How old am I? How did this happen?'_ As strange as it was, I looked a little familiar. Just a little. Like someone I knew. _'I look like… I kind of look like…'_

"OH NO! I LOOK LIKE MOM!" I yelled.

I was surprised at the voice that escaped my throat. _'Ugh! Did I say that? Is that my voice?'_ I started to cough a bit. Even my voice sounded strange too…

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TAP… TAP…

All of a sudden, a section of the wall next to me opened. No, it was actually a sliding door. I yelped in surprise as I made a dash to the bed. I grabbed the sheet and wrapped it around me. I stared in shock as the door opened wide. Two figures entered the room. Actually there were Digimon!

One looked like upright walking green frog with a strange brass horn curled around him. This frog Digimon had a strange dazed look in its red eyes, like it was high on something. He also had a tailor measuring tape hanging from around its neck. I looked down to the other Digimon was crawling next to the frog-like Digimon. It looked like a purple tadpole. It had a big pleasant smile on its round face. It looked safe enough. A small basket containing sewing threads, shears, and needles was placed on top of it like a saddle. I finally remembered exactly what type of Digimon they were. Possibly the virus type. _'A Gekomon and Otamamon.'_

"Ah, you're awake, Miss Yagami," said the Gekomon in a slurred voice. Its voice sure sounded weird. It sounded like it was drunk. I guess its because the Gekomon do love to karaoke. I heard about their higher digivolved form, Shogun Gekomon, was a prime example of karaoke partying. Drinking and alcoholic beverages _do_ mix in karaoke. Well, that was what I heard from my Mom. She can be quite the outgoing karaoke person herself.

"What? Gekomon? Otamamon?"

"We are at your service, Miss Yagami," they both said in unison as they bowed.

"What is going on here? Where am I?"

"You are an honored guest at Master Gennai's home, Miss Yagami," they both replied.

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'Gennai! I should have known!' My brother mentioned that Gennai's house was under a lake! But that was not important right now. "My brother! My friends! Where are they? Are they all right?" I desperately asked them.

"Well, they are, Miss Yagami. Not to worry. All of you are safe and sound," they both replied.

I breathed in sigh of relief. At least I knew that my brother and my friends were fine. But I just had to see him. I had to make sure all of them were okay. I am sure not! As I breathed I noticed the way my chest moved. Actually the way my chest looked now as it moved! I wanted to demand an explanation from the Gekomon and Otamamon.

"Hey, you two! Could you explain what happened to me!"

"What do you mean, Mi-" the Gekomon started.

"I'M BIG!" I exclaimed. I was not aware that I was motioning to my new… chest… as an example.

"That you are, -Mis-" the Otamamon explained.

I face faulted from its response. On top of that, its voice sounded so innocent like a child, unlike the drunk-sounding slurring Gekomon. I tried again. "I MEAN, I WAS NOT LIKE THIS BEFORE!"

"Oh, that! Ummmm…" the Otamamon was trying to explain.

"Um, it would be best if Master Gennai told you about your… _predicament_ himself, Miss Yagami," the Gekomon finished for him.

"Oh great!" I sighed in defeat. Then I asked, "Are the others like me?"

The Gekomon spoke up again. "It would be best if Master Gennai told you-"

I was getting irritated. "Okay! Okay! Where is Gennai?"

The Otamamon spoke. "He is in the main assembly building with some of the others. The rest are getting ready to join them. It is just you that is left."

"They thought it wise to let you rest," the Gekomon added.

"Enough with the rest! I want to see them!" I almost wanted to strangle that drunken frog.

"As you wish, Miss Yagami," they both said.

I sighed and calmed down. "Okay… Do I have any clothes? Or do I prance around naked?"

"Clothes? Of course, Miss Yagami," the Otamamon said.

"Right away, Miss Yagami." The Gekomon went out the door for a brief moment. In a flash it was back with a large stack of what I would consider clothing. "Here are your new clothes, Miss Yagami," the Gekomon said. It handed me one stack, while it put the rest in the dresser. I had a bad feeling I was going to be staying a bit longer in the Digital World. I looked at the stack the Gekomon gave me. From what I could briefly see from the stack, it did have underwear, a yellow shirt, and some pants.

"And your footwear are outside your bedroom door. There are three pairs of slippers, four pairs of matching dress boots, and four pairs of matching high heavy duty boots at your convenience," the Otamamon added with a smile.

"However, Master Gennai refers you take your shoes off when entering any of the other chambers," the Gekomon said.

__

'Like everyone else in Japan.' I was surprised by the two Digimon's generosity in providing me with clothing. Especially with Gennai too. I could only show my gratitude. "Um, thanks. Thank you very much," I said with respect as I bowed to both of them.

"You are welcome, Miss Yagami," they both said. "We are at your service." They both bowed to me.

__

'Miss Yagami… Miss Yagami…' It was unnecessary for them to address me like that. I mean I did not want to be treated any different to anyone. That was one reason. In respect, they were all just being helpful. Still they shouldn't be so formal. It felt strange to be addressed like that. I used to respect my elders before, but now roles were reversed in a way. Still, these Digimon shouldn't do this. Another good reason was because it was getting very, very irritating! "Excuse me, but you CAN call me _Hikari_."

They bowed lower. They were practically on the floor, even so for the Otamamon. "As you wish, Queen Yagami Hikari, Child of Light."

I don't believe it! "UGH! Forget it! Just don't say Queen or that other stuff!" I said trying not to yell.

"As you wish, Miss Yagami." They were still bowing.

__

'Ick!' I just gave up on that. I just wanted to get dressed and be with my brother and friends. I walked to the mirror and set my clothes on the dresser. I was about to put on my underwear… er… _panties_ when I still noticed the Gekomon and the Otamamon were still there. They just stood there staring at me with this blank expression now. They stared at me like they were staring at a blank wall. I started to get very annoyed. "You guys mind?"

"I beg your pardon, Miss Yagami?" the Gekomon asked.

__

'Are they that clueless?' I tried once more and gave them a hint. "Um, I rather dress in private."

"Oh, as you wish, Miss Yagami," they bowed again and started for the exit.

I couldn't help it but it felt strange. I never had anyone see me naked or dress before. Well, only my Mom. Sometimes my stupid brother of mine would bug me with a peak. He did say it was an accident of course. _'From the way these Digimon were just staring at me, they did so without any shame or anything…'_ I finally had an idea of who undressed me. Still I just had to make sure… "Wait!"

The Gekomon and Otamamon returned to the room quickly. "Yes, Miss Yagami," they asked.

"Did either of you undress me?"

The Gekomon spoke. "No. When Master Gennai told us to take you to his home, you had no clothes on."

"Your previous clothing were all tattered, ripped, and in a shredded unsalvageable condition to be precise," the Otamamon added.

"Possibly from your… current predicament, Miss Yagami," the Gekomon said.

"All of the fellow Gekomon and Otamamon helped get you all safely in Master Gennai's home. Amazingly you had no injuries. So we just bathed you-"

"BATHED!?"

"Yes."

"…"

"Is there anything wrong?" the Otamamon asked.

"Did we do a good job, Miss Yagami?" asked the Gekomon.

"…"

"If you wish. We can arrange another bath. We do specialized in special medicinal bathing techniques. It was always quite popular with the younger Princess Tachikawa Mimi. And now Warrior Sora-" the Otamamon.

I finally snapped out of my reverie. _'Thank goodness, I was unconscious the whole time. I would have slapped all of them silly if they ever touch me!'_ Well, I guess I had no choice. They did help save all of us. All they did was do the right thing. I smiled. To tell the truth, they did do a good job. I smelled like roses… "No, no. Nothing is wrong. Thank you," I finally said.

"We designed all of your new wardrobe for all of you," the Otamamon said.

"We tailored and fashioned some of the garments matching your previous clothing," the Gekomon said.

"Also, we designed the other garments, the long coat for example, to match Gennai's specifications," the Otamamon added.

I looked at the pile of clothing on the dresser. I noticed a large folded white piece of clothing. I removed it from the pile and unfolded it. It was like a trench coat! It was actually ivory in color and had a gold decorative buttons in the front and at the cuffs. There was a mock belt in the back. The ivory fabric was very soft and light in weight. Still it looked very durable. Judging from the length of it, it would reach down just past… my knees. I could help but ask, "Why a coat?"

The Otamamon spoke. "Master Gennai said it was necessary."

"Only Gennai knows his reasons," the Gekomon added.

Gennai again. I was sure I was not going to get much information from these two. I guess I had talk with Gennai. A lot of questions need to be answered. "Okay…"

"I do hope you find them to your liking…" they both said.

I smiled to them. They did a good job in being hospitable, and all I ended up was being rude to them. Finally I replied, "Yes, I do. Thank you. Thank you very much."

I think I felt relieved that I was not actually undressed. Not like it mattered anymore. The Gekomon and Otamamon seemed not at all ashamed of being close and personal with a naked human being. They did not wear clothing either! Neither were they considered male or female. Their voices sure don't help. Also, they had no… _private body_ that I could see. They have no visible means to do a _Number 1_. Well, _Number 2_, definitely! I still think of the mess Koromon makes… Compared to humans, Digimon were not _an… ana… atom… an…atomic… no… Anne um… an at comically… er yeah…_ I think that was the word. _'Ana-comically correct.'_

Well, from what I have learned from the Primary Village, Digimon do not procreate the same way as we humans do. Most Digimon we have encountered usually have neither masculine nor feminine traits. Of course not counting our Digimon! Palmon, Piyomon, and Gatomon sure seem like girls to me! I wondered if the Gekomon and Otamamon were the same ones that helped Mimi to be a princess? Probably they were the first to realize what clothing was. Unless, that Gennai character helped them understand. Whatever Gennai was… human, Digimon, or something else…

"You are so welcomed, Miss Yagami," they both said.

"Is there anything else?" the Gekomon asked.

I awoke from my thoughts… "No."

"Very well. We leave you now. Just call for us for any assistance. We will be outside, Miss Yagami." The Gekomon said as it and the Otamamon made their exit… The door slid closed and I was left alone to dress with the clothes the two Digimon tailored for me.

Okay the panties were simple. It looked like pink satin and was embroidered with flower designs. I think they were called high-cut briefs or something… or was called it thongs? After I put them on, I was amazed by its comfort. I liked it. It was the first time I wore such a thing! This thing was definitely _not_ my usual girl underwear! I couldn't believe that I am wearing grown up stuff!

I turned back to the pile of clothing to put on the next garment. I thought it was an extra pair of panties. It had the same color, material, and designs, yet it was different looking. I still did not know what it was, so I picked it up. _'What IS this? I've seen these things before.'_ I looked a little closer at it and got the shock of my life!

"UGH! WHAT!? A BRA!?"

The door slid opened again and the two Digimon _tailors_ came rushing in to face me. This time I was not surprised or ashamed as before. Needless to say I was still shocked at this alien thing I was holding in my hand.

"Is there something wrong, Miss Yagami?" the Gekomon asked.

"THIS IS A BRA! I DON'T KNOW ANYTHING ABOUT PUTTING THIS ON OR MUCH LESS IF THEY ARE REALLY NECESSARY!" I exploded.

"Oh, not to worry, Miss Yagami," the Otamamon tried to calm me down. I could have sworn it sweat dropped.

"We know full knowledge of human clothing," the Gekomon exclaimed. He too looked like it was sweat dropping. It was giving me this nervous look while it tried to calm me as well. Its expression was strange, especially its eyes. Its eyes appeared to be shut. Yet I could clearly see the large _whites_ of its eyes. _'It shut its corneas?'_

"We will help you put it on," the Otamamon added.

__

'Oh great…' I sighed in disgust. _'Could this be any worse?'_ I thought to myself.

"We also have these pad things," the Gekomon said.

"What _pad_ things," I snapped. I did not feel like talking anymore at the moment. Still, the Otamamon handed me a small and soft object. I looked at it in question. _'It did look like a pad, but a pad for what?'_

The Gekomon explained, "Well, it is something Princess Mimi and Warrior Sora felt you might need as they might need it too. It was Warrior Sora's recommendation."

__

'Warrior Sora? What was up with these titles the Gekomon and Otamamon are using? I thought the Numemons were worse! Queen Hikari! Ugh!' I thought in disgust. Still my curiosity of these pads was bugging me. So I asked, "Need? What do I need a pad for? What are these pad things?" Somehow I had this sinking feeling to what these pads were. I think my Mother has some that look like these stacked away…

"Yes, these pads… They are fluid absorbers. They go with… or someplace in the area around your panties and where your other… opening… is."

I wished I did not hear the rest of it…

~~~

****

10 minutes later…

"Wow! What an outfit!" I exclaimed as I peered at my reflection.

After many senseless minutes involving my bra and those stupid pads, I finally got dressed. It was amazing. I wore a long-sleeved light yellow wrap shirt made from silk. I also had a pair of pink low slung pants, wool blend I think, that flared at the legs. A simple leather-like black belt with an etched shield buckle was around the waist. Long maroon colored gloves adorned my hands and forearms. I also had a pair of long pink cushioned socks. The Gekomon and Otamamon gave me a little red hairpin to keep my new hairstyle in place. The Digimon tailors even fashioned me with a light pink ascot that was like the one I wore before!

The ivory trench coat I was reluctant to wear. I have never worn such a thing. Not like I had anything to do with fashion. I put it on any ways. It was really comfortable and it surely matched the rest of my clothing. For the first time I noticed something pinned on the inside of the coat. I took it out… it was my Digivice! _'Strange, I did not notice it before. I did not know I was missing it.'_ I was not sure if I still needed this device. _'Well, it is mine. Both Gatomon and I are connected with it… I hope she is all right. Well, I will be seeing her again shortly.'_ I clipped the Digivice to my belt buckle on my right and forgot about it.

I checked myself in the mirror again. The Gekomon and the Otamamon truly got my measurements right. It was not tight nor loose. It felt comfortable when I moved around in it. Even my panties and bra were comfortable! To top it all off, this was the first bra I have ever worn! The bra still boggled me. _'Are these bra things really necessary?'_ All in all, this outfit fitted perfectly! The Gekomon and Otamamon were really fine tailors and-

__

'Wait a minute! The only way they could get accurate measurements was to… That would mean they measured my…' I covered my face in disgust as I felt myself turning red.

~~~

****

5 minutes later…

I picked the pair of rubber slippers on put them on. The boots looked a little uncomfortable at the moment. The Gekomon and Otamamon led me to the direction to where the others were assembling. Gennai's home was sure beautiful. Nice adjoining structures. There were several vegetable and plant gardens, wells, and also rock gardens. Everything was nicely kept clean and tidy. It was unlike anything I have seen for a long time since I live in a modern Japanese city. A remnant of old Japan. I wondered why Gennai had a home looking like this. _'Did he come from our world? Or was it something else? Maybe he admires the cultures from our world. Something that did not remind him of technology.'_

The force field kept the surrounding lake water from rushing in and flooding the place. His home was hidden to the rest of the Digital World. But he welcomes anyone to visit, unless you happened to be an evil Digimon. It was amazing as the sunlight surrounds this place as if it was never underwater. I could only imagine how deep we actually were from what my brother told me about Gennai's home. I saw a few fish swim by in the distance. The scenery was sure breath taking! I wished I had a camera with me.

I finally neared a large structure. It looked like an assembly house. The Gekomon and Otamamon left me to proceed inside. They had other things to take care of. I thanked them and bid them farewell. As they left, I turned back and walked closer to the large sliding doors of the structure. All of a sudden, I heard a faint… whistling sound. It was familiar. It sounded like the same revving whistling sounds I hear when our Digimon digivolve. I looked at my Digivice. It was not active. It was strange…

__

'Wait minute! That whistling sound sounded like it was coming from… my head?' That was what it felt like! It was happening inside my mind. It started to get irritating as it got louder! I clenched my head tightly. My head started to hurt! _'Stop it-'_

"…"

That strange whistling in my head suddenly stopped… I blinked in surprise. _'Huh, it stopped! What was that?'_ I shook my head. I figured it was a little trauma from our adventures. It should be nothing to worry about. It was probably just stress.

I looked at the side of the closed sliding door entrance. There were several pairs of slippers, boots, and shoes placed neatly there. I counted seven pairs of footwear. _'They are in there all right.'_ I took my slippers off and neatly placed them among the other pairs. I opened the large sliding door and entered…

~~~

****

Assembly room…

"About time you woke up, sis. Usually I am the last one up," I heard a low yet familiar voice say.

I quickly scanned the room I had just entered. I stared in amazement. There were seven other people present in the room. There were five adult males and two adult females. Even though these people appeared so different to me, I knew who they were. They were my friends! _'Wow! Sora, Mimi, Koushiro, Jyou, Yamato, and… Takeru? Wow! He looks so… different! All of them are! But I know it is them! Whatever happened to me did so with them.'_

I finally found the one who had spoke… I couldn't believe it was my brother! There was no mistaking him with that mess of hair he still has! And he still has his goggles too! He still looked the same at his current age. He was taller and muscular. I had to admit he looked very handsome. Taichi too had a wildly fashioned outfit. No doubt done by his run in with the Gekomon and Otamamon. He was dressed in an orange satin long sleeved dress shirt that was tucked in his pair of tan trousers with double pleats. A blue vest, matching the color of his old favorite shirt, with one ornate button was worn over it. A black leather-like belt with a gold buckle was around his waist. He also wore gray socks.

My brother was also wearing a trench coat that was the same kind as mine, however it was black. It wouldn't be my brother without his trademark goggles wrapped around his forehead. His goggles seemed to have a new head strap and wider bridge to accommodate his larger head. However, he had his goggles hang loosely from his neck. I guess wearing his goggles around his head would make his outfit look ridiculous.

"ONIISAN!" I cried as I rushed to him.

"Hi, sis." We both hugged each other. "I'm glad you're okay!"

"Me too," I almost felt like crying in his arms, but I knew I shouldn't be sad now that everything was okay.

"Hey, Hikari!" It was Mimi. She still had that voice of hers. Still, she looked really mature, but she was just as pretty as before. Her brown hair was longer and styled very differently with braids. Her outfit was totally different. Unlike the Mimi I knew. Her once usual dark pink dress was gone. It now resembled her trench coat that she wore. Her dark pink coat looked like an Australian duster with matching storm cape. It was very long and elegant looking. _'Well, if Mimi's wearing a coat, it must be fashionably safe.'_

Under her duster she wore a tucked in a white poplin shirt. _'Ha! Bra too!'_ She also wore a pair of white pleated pants with cuffed hems that looked great on her nicely shaped legs. Her usual khaki purse was slung around her shoulder and waist. She had pink socks on her feet. Mimi had no gloves at the moment. I am not sure if she has something that resembled her trademark pink cowgirl hat with her clothes. "Looking good!" she said in her recognizable perky voice as she hugged me. I noticed that she too had blossomed in the places as I have. I was an inch shorter than she was. "I am glad you are okay."

"Same here, Mimi," I said as I returned her embrace. I couldn't help but ask, "Got a new pink hat?"

She giggled. "No, I was thinking of something different. I was hoping the Gekomon and Otanamon would make me a matching white hat and white duster later on."

I couldn't help but giggle too. _'Same old Mimi.'_ I thought for a moment. _'Come to think of it… Maybe she could answer some bra questions later with me.'_

"Hey, Hikari." It was Sora. My, she looked so well matured. She and I were the same height. I noticed her usual blue _cap_ was missing. Even though her reddish hair was longer now, she still had that _tomboyish_ look to her. She was even more muscular too despite her sudden change in breast size. She wore a bra too, of course! _'Just those pads I need to talk to her about…'_ I thought. _'Well, maybe later.'_

Sora wore a yellow sleeveless Henley shirt. She really looked great with that pair of sleek fitting cotton denim jeans with easy low rise and tapered pant legs. Instead of her usual red butt-back, she had a red wallet like thing hung around her chest like a gun holster. Sora's white coat was folded over a chair behind her. White socks adorned her feet.

Still I had to smile. _'I still can't used to her without that blue cap of hers!'_

I quickly forgot about the blue cap when Sora embraced me and gave me a kiss on the cheek. "I'm glad you could join us," she said.

"Me too, Sora," I replied giving her hug. As we released ourselves, I noticed Jyou standing beside her. I couldn't recognize him the first time because he did not have any glasses on. He doesn't need them I guess or the Gekomon and Otamamon couldn't get the prescription right. He looked really handsome without it. There was no mistake that it was Jyou because of his towering height and dark blue hair. I walked up to give him a hug too. He was sure taller now. He was the tallest person in the room!

"Hey, Hikari," he said in a very deep voice. He was dressed in a lavender satin dress shirt. An ivory three-button vest was worn over it. He also had a pair of gray double box pleated pants with a black leather-like belt with a silver buckle. He had on a long dark blue double-breasted trench coat with shoulder epaulets. It also had belts for the waist and sleeves. He had black socks.

I had to ask. "Jyou, your glasses…"

"It's okay, Hikari. I have perfect vision now! It's strange, but I like it!" he smiled brightly.

I heard a slight chuckle, and noticed Koushiro standing close by. "Hi, Hikari," he said in a lower but recognizable voice. Amazingly, Koushiro was just as tall as my brother was! His dark reddish hair was shorter. His clothing had a different feel to it. It was not his usual colors of green and orange. He was wearing a long black double-breasted jacket with a stylish priest collar. I was not sure what kind of shirt he was wearing underneath it because he had his jacket buttoned up. He wore a pair of olive green double box pleated pants with a cuffed hem. He was not wearing any socks. His outfit was very different for him… I noticed something was definitely missing… _'Oh my… HIS LAPTOP WAS MISSING!'_

"Um, Izzy? Where's your laptop?"

"It was destroyed in the trolley accident."

__

'The accident with the trolley DID happen,' I thought with an unsettling feeling.

"Luckily, my back up disk of my entire laptop came out okay," he replied calmly as he pulled out a CD-R disk from his jacket pocket. "I have made several copies of this hidden away too. Just in case."

It was still shocking. His laptop was his most beloved possession. Still he did say that he has a back up disk of his entire system. It was amazing that he seemed so calm about it. "You're okay about losing your laptop, Izzy?"

"I was sad at first, but I can live with it. I gave it a proper burial in the garden near here."

I sweat dropped. All I could say was, _"Right…"_

"Hello, Hikari! Nice to see ya!" I turned to the origin of the voice. I came face to face a blonde young man. He was wearing a charcoal colored long-sleeved fleece shirt. He also wore a fleece khaki colored cargo pants. For a coat, he wore an olive green double-breasted suede trench coat with shoulder epaulets and belts. He had white socks. I first thought it was Yamato standing before me, however I was wrong. This was Takeru! The little boy that saved my life! I could tell it was definitely Takeru because his eyes were shaped differently than Yamato's.

All I could do was just stare. After a few moments, I finally spoke. "Great seeing you too, Takeru." I smiled. Still I noticed something else about Takeru… _'Hmmm… he does not have that green… um… hat… er… helmet… of his. I guess he just gave it up. I like to see his hair.'_ As Takeru returned my smile, I felt like I was in a trance. _'Wow! Takeru is sure handsome and tall too. He and I are the same height!'_ I felt myself turning red… He was blushing too. Time seemed to move slowly until…

__

"Ahem…" I heard another voice behind me which snapped me out of my trance. I turned to face none other than Yamato. He was very mature looking than before. His long spiky blond hair was longer now. He still had those piercing blue eyes. He had a mild build compared to my brother. Yamato was wearing a sleeveless green turtle neck and a pair of denim jeans. Dark brown gloves adorned his hands. He had a black woven leather belt around his waist. White socks were on his feet. His coat was like Takeru's but it was black with a gray collar. He was not wearing it. His coat hung folded over his right arm.

"Hello, Yamato," I finally said nervously.

"Yeah… yeah…" he muttered.

I stared at him in disbelief. _'That's Mr. Cool for you.'_ This guy always scared me sometimes. He was always acting cool. Spends most of time alone. Giving other people this icy glare. Yamato was definitely different from his younger brother. It was unbelievable that he was the Child of Friendship. I felt it wise to leave the presence of Yamato for the time being. I gave Takeru a smile and hurried back to my brother's side. I finally asked him, "Oniisan? What happened to us? Why are we all… grown up?"

He did not answer. He too looked like he had questions to ask and only one person could answer them…

"I can explain," a voice said.

A familiar figure entered the room from an opposite door. It was a short old man wearing strange black clothing with red stripes. Unlike the rest of us, he had his usual pair of red sneakers on. _'That figures…'_

I greeted him. "Hello, Gennai."

"Greetings, Child of Light. I am so glad you could join us," Gennai replied.

"I'm sorry I'm late," I tried to apologize.

He held up his hand and said, "No need for apologies. We have better matters to discuss." He walked toward the center of the room. All of us gathered around Gennai. He cleared his throat for moment, then he spoke… "Let us try with your question. To begin let us just say that… all of you… _died_ in the trolley car."

I stood there like a statue. I must have turned pale as well judging from the looks of the others. Gennai's words sunk in as it haunted every fiber within me. The room feel silent… for a while.

"DIED!?" we all cried at once.

Gennai held his hands up in defense. "Well, no. In a sense, maybe. You all did not actually die." A sense of relief came over the room. "You might have been deleted." he replied as if he was making some sort of joke of it. I was not sure if I should be relieved or not anymore.

"So we're not actually dead?" my brother asked in total confusion as the rest of us.

Gennai hesitated for a moment, as if he was still determining what had just happened. "Yes and no. I am not sure myself," he said with a shrug.

Everyone was silent. I am not sure what to make of what Gennai was trying to say anymore. I really started to feel a sense of dread.

Then Mimi spoke, "Where are our Digimon friends?"

Gennai turned to face her, his eyes appeared closed as usual. "Your guardians died with you."

Another sense of dread enveloped the room. Like the others, we were not expecting an answer like that. The subject of death was unsettling; especially when it involved someone you love. I heard a quiet voice speak. I was not sure who it was. "They're dead?"

"Oh nooo…" Sora whispered.

"Well, actually they were fused with you. So they are not actually dead," replied Gennai.

I could have sworn I heard him chuckle. _'What is up with Gennai? He is not sure of anything! He treats it like it was nothing! Does he think this is all sort of a joke?'_

"Fused?" queried Koushiro.

"Yes. That is what I DO know for sure. You see…" He took a deep breath and continued. "In other to save you from your deadly fall to the earth, they digivolved to their higher forms to safely bring the trolley with all of you in it on the ground. It was not necessary for all of them to do so, but it was their nature to do what ever possible to save you."

He took another breath and continued on. "Unfortunately during the Great Reset, something happened during the natural course of digital evolution. Their evolving data merged with your bodies. I think it was because of your Crests that you now posses within your bodies as well as the unpredictable phenomenon with the Great Reset." Gennai was silent now.

"So that is why we are all older? It was an accidental fusion with our Digimon?" Koushiro asked to break the silence.

"Yes, Child of Knowledge."

Mimi stepped up and spoke. "But, Palmon… and the others. They fused with us but… are they still what they were? Are we able to see or communicate with them?"

"No. At this moment in time, you cannot see them again. Well, not in a physical sense. Right now they cannot be the way you remembered them."

"Oh…" Mimi sighed.

Gennai turned away from her. "I am sorry, Child of Purity. I truly am sorry."

Mimi started to cry.

"Poor Patamon…" Takeru fought the tears from falling, but it was no use. We all felt like crying for the loss of our friends.

"Never fret, children. They now live within you," Gennai spoke with a brighter tone.

"They _are_ all right?" Mimi sniffed back her tears as a pleasant smile washed over her face.

"In a way. Their data is stored within your bodies. Preserved. They are pretty much alive." This brought a sense of cheeriness around the room. I felt so happy that Gatomon would be all right. She was a part of me now.

"Is there a way to free them?" Takeru asked.

"Yes, but you must return to your world to do so. Only then would the Digimon data be freed and reassembled to their original form."

"And we would be turned back to ourselves as well?" my brother asked.

"Yes, definitely. Alive and well. So will your Digimon."

"That is a relief," Yamato said.

Everyone was in better mood, until Gennai cleared his throat and got everyone's attention again. I was afraid he had more to say. "However, I am afraid that you must leave before the Great Reset changes everything else. Time has now slowed down because of the imbalance your fusion of your DNA with the Digimon data has caused. The Reset will take longer, but it will continue. Therefore you must leave. Once you return to your world, your Digimon data will be release from your bodies. They would again live as they once were. So will you."

"How do we get home now?"

"There is a way… It is the only way. I am afraid you will not like it."

"PLEASE TELL US!" Yamato demanded. I could sense he was just as anxious to get home and also save our Digimon as everyone else was. It was taking a toll on everyone.

"I do not know if I should."

"DAMN IT, OLD MAN! TELL US!" Yamato was looming over the old man for an answer. My brother tried to pull him back a bit.

"Hey, Yamato. Calm down, dude!" my brother pleaded.

Yamato calmed a bit and sighed, "I just want to go home. I want to know that Gabumon would be okay too."

"I know. We all do. Just be patient for once."

"Okay." Yamato smiled at my brother. Such a great bond of friendship they share.

My brother turned to Gennai and asked, "So how is it, Gennai? What's the plan?"

"It is another prophecy-"

Gennai was caught off by Yamato. The word _prophecy_ seemed to tick off Yamato. He always did have a short fuse and a colorful vocabulary… "Oh -CK! Enough with the prophecies, old man! LOOK AT WHERE IT GOT US!" he screamed. The noise in my head started up again. My head started to hurt…

"Please, Yamato. I think we all can just listen to-" started Koushiro. I could see him rubbing his temples a bit.

Yamato glared at Koushiro. "BACK OFF, KOUSHIRO! YOU WERE NO BETTER IN FIGURING OUT WHY WE ARE STUCK HERE! YOUR CALCULATIONS OF THE LAST PROPHECY TO GET HOME DID NOT HELP!"

"Sorry…" Koushiro said as he backed off. Koushiro held his head tighter in pain.

"JUST SHUT UP, YAMATO!" yelled Sora. I was startled by Sora's outburst.

I saw Mimi. She looked like her head was in pain. I felt the same way too with all of this yelling… and this irritating noise in my head!

"Hey, don't tell my brother to shut up!" I was surprised that Takeru said this. I have never seen him yell before, never in anger.

"THEN YOU SHUT UP!" Sora yelled.

Mimi was wincing a bit but managed to put a hand on Sora's shoulder. "Sora, please…"

Sora just shoved Mimi's hand away. "Mimi, just stay back."

This seemed to amuse Yamato. "HA, I KNEW IT! YOU AND MIMI ARE-"

__

WHACK!

Yamato could not finish whatever he was trying to say about Sora and Mimi. Sora punched him hard on the jaw! He staggered back and fell to the ground. A trail of blood was oozing from his mouth. I covered my eyes at the scene. This was so unlike Sora. She hit a lot of people before, but none of them were her friends!

"SORA! HEY!" I heard my brother scream. "YOU TWO, CALM DOWN!" I opened my eyes as my brother rushed to Yamato's side with Takeru.

Now Sora seemed amused of all of this. "OH YEAH, AND WHAT ABOUT YOU AND TAICHI?" she spat at Yamato's slumped form. This got Yamato mad as he tried to regain his composure. As he stood, he wiped the blood away from his mouth.

Takeru and Taichi helped Yamato to his feet. Takeru gave Sora an icy glare that sent chills down my spine. "THAT'S IT! NOBODY MESSES WITH MY FAMILY!" Takeru confronted Sora with his fists drawn. Sora was prepared to retaliate. "I'M GONNA KICK YOUR ASS!" Takeru said with venom. Taichi tried to get in between them.

I couldn't stand any of this… the yelling… the fighting… the noise in my head…

"YAMETE!"

My brother, Sora, Yamato, and Takeru stopped their actions. Thankfully they did stop. The noises in my head also stopped. Suddenly I felt everyone's eyes fall upon me. It then occurred to me that it was I that screamed at them to stop in a very non lady-like manner! All I could do was let my feelings spill…

"Look, all of you. I know we have been through a lot. We faced many challenges together. The hardships… We practically faced life and death together. We all want to go home to our families, to our homes. We also want to see our Digimon again. We also want to be ourselves again…" I trailed off as I was still trying to comprehend our predicament with our newly fused bodies.

I took a deep breath and continued. "We still have to work together to do so. I know I am practically new to this group, but I know we can accomplish anything when we are together. We cannot afford to be against one another. Not at a time like this! We have to be supportive of one another. We can only do so with trust… friendship… love… We should not fight anymore!" I knew I sounded so corny, but I had to say something. I became silent and just prepared myself for whatever reaction from the others. There was an uncomfortable silence that seem to go on forever...

"Hikari's right you know," I heard Jyou say. I was surprised Jyou spoke up. He has been strangely quiet the whole time. "We are all tired. We miss our families and our Digimon. We faced many challenges. We faced them as a group and many times by ourselves. But it is our bond we share that we succeed in our challenges! This is no different! We always prevailed when we work together! We cannot afford to just throw everything that we desperately fought so hard to build and live for!" He shakes his head a bit and smiled. "I know it all sounds corny coming from me, but I always believed so."

Sora shook her head. "Yeah… You are both right." She turned to Yamato and Takeru. "Yamato and Takeru… I am so sorry." Tears started to form in her eyes. "Please, forgive me…"

Takeru just hugged her. "I'm sorry too, Sora."

Yamato just stayed his cool way and mumbled, "Yeah… I'm sorry, Sora… Takeru… Gennai… Everyone… I am sorry I exploded like that. I was wrong."

Yamato and Sora shook hands. After a few seconds, they hugged each other. Everyone expressed his or her understanding. Gennai said nothing.

Sora looked at Yamato and said, "Here, let me take a look at your jaw."

Yamato held up his hand. "No no. It's okay. I think I feel better now."

"You sure? I think I heard a snap." She checked closer. Sure enough, there was no damage at all. "Hmmm… Well I'll be... I guess I _don't_ know my own strength. I should work out more. Next time, I won't go so easy on you. I'm sure to break something then."

I could see Mimi roll her eyes. Yamato sweat dropped. Takeru laughed, getting glares from his brother. Yamato checked his jaw again. "Yeah. Amazingly the pain's gone now. No problem, Sora." He finished checking his jaw and just stayed quiet and cool.

"Whatever you say, Yamato," Sora said with a smile. She walked back to Mimi where she embraced her in forgiveness. Everything was beginning look peaceful again. I gave Jyou a smile and silently thanked him. I felt Taichi hand clenching my shoulder. I turned to face him. We did not have to exchange any words. I just hugged him.

After we released ourselves, I looked back at Gennai. He did not look at all amused the whole time. We forgot that we were guests in his house. The old man sighed. "Right… As I was about to say… For all of you to be saved… only one will be left to do it."

"What do you mean, Gennai?" asked my brother.

After a few moments, Gennai spoke in a way that sent chills in the room… A voice that sounded so lifeless… like Apocalymon…

__

"Transcending history of both worlds… a tale of souls and swords… eternally told…"

__

"In the end, there can be only one."

His unusual voice seemed to echo throughout the room… _'Gennai?'_ Strange thoughts came over me… I could not understand what it was… Things I never knew before became so clear… yet not so clear… I saw around me that my friends were feeling it too. I unconsciously gripped my Digivice tighter. I kept on thinking of Gatomon… and of home…

All of a sudden, there was flash. My Digivice started to shine brightly and vibrated with power. The familiar loud revving whistle sound of the Digivice filled the air. The gage lights erupted with light and power. I could actually see the ones and zeros coming out of it. I held my glowing Digivice closer to my face. I stared in amazement, as my Digivice seemed to change shape. The bright glowing mass became something that was long in shape, but I could not make it out what it was. I started to feel it becoming heavy. The glowing object was becoming too bright. In surprise and fear, I released the radiant shape-changing Digivice from my hand. I watched it fall to the floor…

__

CLANG!

As the glowing mass finally hit the floor, I heard a loud clanging noise as if I just dropped a long heavy piece of metal. The glowing stopped and I looked down. I was expecting to see my Digivice on the floor. Unfortunately, what I saw there shocked me. 

"I am afraid, the Child of Light has found part of that answer herself," Gennai said sadly in his usual voice. I felt all eyes fall upon me.

I stared at the object at my feet. It was a sword! Without a second thought, I picked up the alien object. It looked heavy, but it was practically weightless in my grasp. It was a samurai sword, a _katana_! The sword was beautiful but ultimately deadly. The sharp mirrored polished blade looked like it had strength stronger steel and it was full tang. _'Full tang? When did I start knowing about swords?'_ Strangely I did know. The blade had a _confused_ temper line, or _midare-ba_, with beautiful surface engravings from hilt to tip. The engravings were of flowers, vines, feathers, and what appeared to be an etching of my Crest of Light!

I examined the sword's guard and handle closely. It had a beautifully crafted golden steel _tsuba_ or sword guard. _'How do I know these things?'_ The tsuba design looked like the wings of an angel. There was a golden tail-like coil around the tang that served it as a handle. The tail began at the hilt and coiled down to the end. It looked like a tail of a cat or some animal. At the end of the tail there was a large gold ring etched with the glyphs of the Digital World…

__

'Why is this sword so familiar in some way? Still… It reminds me of…'

Realization came to me as to why this sword was so familiar. A soft jingling sound caught me ears. To my shock, there was something attached to the gold ring that just appeared out of nowhere. It was a small silver whistle on a simple string! It was the same whistle I gave to…

"Gatomon?"

****

To be continued…


	2. Phoenix Blade - (Sora's POV)

****

Author's Note: First I would like to thank the readers that reviewed the previous Digital Quickening story. This sequel is a little bit longer and even more confusing. **As usual: Really goofy dialogue, poor vocabulary, poor spelling, poor grammar, poor verb tense, ellipses galore, bad clichés, and SOUND EFFECTS!** I will be using off-the-wall biology, metallurgy, technical jargon, etc. that even I don't know what I am writing about! I had to rewrite and explain the whole Rules of the Quickening in one story too! Just make believe it all sounds plausible. All the Soul Blades have been exaggerated in size, especially in metric! **This is a work in progress that requires A LOT of work.** Reviews are welcomed.

****

WARNING: **Not for the _Highlander_ AND _Sora_ purists!** Need I mention that I really liked _Highlander 2the Renegade Version_? (Dodges even more thrown objects) Any ways, this continuation to my story will follow the same league… a _bad sequel!_ **ALSO, Sora's character will be _loosely_ based after my older cousin who lives out-of-state from me.** I have written this story with her blessings and some of her help in writing just to keep it _fictional_ as possible!

****

Important Note: If you did not get any hints from my warning with Sora, here it is... There are mild… _shoujo ai…_ thoughts. **THOUGHTS ONLY!** Got that? PLUS, the following song DOES NOT hint anything either. **Lots of vulgar language too!** As usual, my work pales in comparison to the other great work done by much better authors.

**__**

This story takes place after Season 01; the DigiDestined have defeated Apocalymon. The Digital World is undergoing the Great Reset. The DigiDestined have become fused with their Digimon. A continuation from Sora's POV.

****

Disclaimer: I do not own Digimon, Highlander, Soul Edge, or Soul Caliber. I DO own a _Shirasaya_ and an extremely cheap knockoff of Duncan MacLeod's _Katana_.

****

Digital Quickening: Phoenix Blade

by Mimi, Myself, & Iz.

__

To love!

To shine!

__

We all need to shine on, to see  
_How far we've come on our journey._  
_How far yet to go, searching for our star._  


__

Deep in the night, I pray in my heart  
_For that special light_  
_To shower me with love,_  
_To shower me with power,_  
_To shine from above!_  


__

I got to get to the Edge of Soul, to carry on  
_What I believed in from the very start._  
_I got to get to the Edge of Soul, to carry on_  
_Deep in my heart!_  


__

Come strip down and face it, your all!  
About time you broke down your wall.  
Free your mind…  
A brand new world waits for you, you'll find…  


Nobody can just do it for you  
It's time that you knew…  


It's up to you to love!  
It's up to you to shine!  
The light true and blue!

__

To love…  
…to shine.  


Excerpts from the song **_The Edge of Soul_**

Performed by **KHAN**  
Lyrics by **Suzi Kim**  


From the soundtrack **_SOUL EDGE_**  
by **Namco**

__

Transcending history of both worlds…

A tale of souls and swords… eternally told…

__

In the end, there can be only one.

****

Digital World  
Beyond the Great Reset

Eternal Warrior… Takenouchi, Sora

__

'Souls and swords…'

I couldn't believe all of this has happened. First off, we were all fused with our Digimon. The power of the Digimon and Crests made us all grown into mature adults. On top of that, we were immortal! That was not the half of it though! We were now swordsmen! It still boggled me not only of what we have become, but what we must do to get home…

~~~

****

Gennai's Home  
Yagami, Hikari's Quarters

__

Now I lay me down to sleep,  
I pray the Lord my soul to keep.

__

If I should die before I wake,  
I pray the Lord my soul to take.

__

And may the angels watch you through the night,  
And wake you with their morning light.

__

Amen.

I made sure Hikari was comfortable in her bed. She looked so peaceful when she sleeps. Even though she has the body of an eighteen to twenty-year-old woman, Hikari was still the same young girl I have always known. Always like a baby sister to me. I have watched her grow up from a small sickly child to a headstrong ten-year-old. As fate would have it, I am seeing her now as a young woman. Despite the fact that she appeared older, deep inside there was still this young girl that shined ever so radiantly.

__

'Like an angel,' I smiled. I brushed a few strands of her hair away from her closed eyes. I looked at her sadly. _'Poor girl… She took it the hardest of all.'_

I kissed Hikari's forehead and stood up. In a quiet voice, I spoke to her, "Sleep well, Hikari. I cannot promise any sweet dreams this time, but everything will turn out all right. All of us are with you. The path home has been laid down before us. We have been given life in strange lands. We will make home. You'll see."

I lightly stroked her cheek. I could tell Hikari was sleeping a bit peacefully now. Her breathing was normal. I smiled. At least I managed to comfort her. I do hope she has pleasant dreams. I kind of wished all of this were a dream. I think it should be referred to as a nightmare. In reality we would wake up and find ourselves safe in our own beds, in our own homes, with our loved ones. My thoughts often think back of home again. I so wanted to get home and be with my Mom… and hopefully my Dad. I think I am okay with Ami there as well.

"Ami and Mom," I sighed as my thoughts drift back on their relationship.

When I first went to camp, I thought differently of everything. The breakup, my Mom, my Dad, and the woman that helps with the flower shop, Ami Aino… I hated my Mom and Ms. Aino. To tell the truth, I hated my Mom period! It was her I blamed for driving my Dad away. Now, it was just Mom, Ami, and I. I tried my best not to let my hatred for her show, yet I could not help it. I let it all come out subtlety when I started to do certain things just to piss her off. I avoided helping around with the shop. I ignored Ami when she's around. I ignored my Mom when she tries to make conversation with me. I played sports with the boys. I wore clothes that were… considered to her… non lady-like. Ami later joked that I was becoming the _man_ of the house. I took it in stride. My Mom did not find it amusing.

__

'I was not sure if I was… taking Dad's place.' I shook my head, _'Such a ridiculous thought.'_

Thinking back to that day, it was quite a shock to my Dad when my Mother confessed her true feelings and told that their marriage was… no longer. My Dad slowly yet surely accepted my Mother's new relationship. He understood the bond between my Mother and Ms. Aino. It was only a matter of time that my Mom and Dad had to legally separate their union. Mom and Dad's separation was not as bad as I thought it would be. It was I that sort of added the hostility to the breakup. Still my Dad was very open-minded to the new relationship, being a University Professor and all. He still supports my Mom and I financially as well as still being there as a father figure. He was still my Dad. He never remarried as a faith to me. My Dad and Ms. Aino were soon great friends also. It took me a trip to the Digital World to finally understand all of it.

__

'Understanding… Love…'

Piyomon was the first to make me understand most of it even before I found my Crest. Before I used to hate my Digimon's constant affections. It actually sickened me to think I could not get away from my Mom's sexuality and here was Piyomon doing just that with me. That was when I tempted Mimi to trade Piyomon for Palmon. I felt Piyomon should belong to Mimi because Mimi liked the color pink and well… Piyomon was an airhead! Of course the airhead part does not apply to Mimi. I believed Palmon should have been my Digimon because she kind of reminds me of myself, even though she being a flower eventually reminded me of my Mom's shop. Mimi politely refused of course. Those two were inseparable. Mimi and Palmon shared a strong bond that went beyond friendship, just the way it was to be with Piyomon and I. I later came to the conclusion that I was wrong to even consider trading my Digimon. I just couldn't believe how badly I treated Piyomon because of how she shows her love for me! I was treating her… like I treated my Mom.

Ever since I got the Crest of Love, I began to understand it all and even feel it happening. It was something that I still can't put to words. I am not a psychologist or anything like that. Our adventure in finding the Eighth Child and fighting against VamDemon proved that I finally understood. I knew I would be alone with Mom when I came home. Ms. Aino was away on vacation at the time and my Dad, being a University Professor, was on assignment for the various college institutions in Kyoto. I thought it was a chance for both Mom and I to finally talk. I tried to open up to her… trying to at least being a grateful daughter. But I was wrong. Still, Mom kept being distant from me. She still had some grudge against me from that dreadful night long ago.

I think it all began to fall apart about three years ago when my Grandmother died. Then about a year later, I discovered that my Mom was seeing someone else! It even shocked me more when I found out who she was seeing. I asked her… no I _screamed_ at her to keep her new relationship away from me. That was when Dad found out everything, then my world fell apart. Now I wished I could take it all back. How foolish of me to think everything would be okay when I returned from the Digital World that day. I just wanted to tell Mom I understood now. I wanted to tell her I was different too. I wanted to tell her that I no longer blame her or Ami for Dad to be apart from us. I no longer thought ill of their relationship. I did not blame her for what she was. She was still was my Mom. It was that she kept it all from Dad too late. Not like it would matter now.

I shook my head at those memories. _'At that time, I realized there was something else. There was another reason why I hated her before, but I could never tell her. Not yet…'_

I used to also blame her for making me who I am. She influenced me to be like her. I always thought that being who I am was because of being around Mom and Ami. But it was never like that. It was something more. Before talking to Mom about it, I consulted my Dad first on the phone. I figured he was the best one to talk to because he also had master's degrees in various studies of Behavioral and Cultural Sciences. I felt I was finally able to openly talk to him about Mom's current relationship and sexuality. He agreed with the fact that one's sexual orientation was not something that was taught. It was more biologically determined. Also it was not necessarily passed on hereditarily either.

__

'That, I always pondered on…'

All this time, I could not help but feel sorry for Dad. He promised he would never remarry. He wanted to keep it as is, Father and Daughter. I so wished he would give it up and find his own happiness. But I couldn't help but feel so grateful for him still being a loving Father. Still, ever since then, I sometimes sense his… uneasiness of Mom's relationship, maybe even jealously of Ami. He took comfort in it all because I shared some disagreement of Mom seeing Ami before. I wondered how Dad would feel now if he knew that Mom and I along with Ami were finally being close to reconciling our differences.

__

'How would he react now when I reveal my secret feelings for someone?'

I wanted to talk to him about _my_ feelings for someone when the phone went dead. It was VamDemon's work. The Eighth Child, Hikari, had been identified and was being zeroed in for capture. By cutting all surrounding communication in a large blanket of supernatural fog would limit any unnecessary interference. It was terrible. I never got a chance to speak to nor see Dad again. He was still stuck in Kyoto. Even after our victory, I had to leave to the Digital World to face the Dark Masters.

__

'I hope my Dad is okay back home too.'

Strange, after I became one with my Digimon, I gained some wisdom. I sensed within me the memories of Piyomon. Piyomon did have a talk with my Mom during the battle with VamDemon. From what I remember through the soul of Piyomon, my Mom told her that she longed for the chance to talk with me about her relationship with Ami… A chance to finally settle everything, and rebuild the relationship I slowly made myself apart from. I too wanted to heal old wounds. I wanted to be the proud Daughter of my Mom. I wished I were there for her and Piyomon at the time. Instead, I was still too afraid to even begin to talk after she kept distancing herself from me. Of all that was going on with VamDemon, I had the nerve to go to soccer practice.

Things were different now. I want to make it right with Mom.

__

'I also was no longer ashamed of finally realizing what I truly am.'

Now, all I have to worry was what the others would think of me. Well, I don't give a rat's ass about the public. I only care of my friends. My real friends reactions… fiends for life… my fellow DigiDestined. Especially since I have a secret crush with one of them. Well, actually there were two others. I thought it was a passing crush, but that was not it. Now with us being turned into adults, I began to feel myself falling in love. Hormones I guess. Maybe it was my Crest of Love. Everyone was in a matured body. Unfortunately our minds, despite our new wisdom, were still that of children.

I have not yet told anyone about my secret love. Not even Hikari, Mimi, nor Piyomon knows of the one I love. Yet of the two DigiDestined I had just a crush on, only one other DigiDestined I know my heart belongs too. Still there was Taichi, my long time childhood friend. It was he that kept me sane through out my relationship with my Mom. Hikari and Koushiro also comforted me during my difficult times, even though they have no clue of what was actually happening between my Mom, Ami, and I.

__

'Hell, they were too young to know any ways! I haven't really told anyone of my Mom and Ami's relationship. They think it was because my Dad was absent, but it was more than that! They would never know. Not yet.'

Still I do love Taichi like a brother… maybe a bit more than that. I don't know. Yet, there was Yamato… Taichi referred to him as a _rebel_. For whatever reason, he was like me in a way. We would have this sort of understanding between us even though we actually don't. We almost share some quarrels with our parents. I hurt him a lot sometimes, not intentionally of course. There were countless times I had to come between Taichi and Yamato's fights. I try not to take sides, but I do. Now that Hikari has joined us, things were different. It always seemed to me that I was competing with Yamato. I don't know why or about what. Was it because of Taichi?

__

'Yamato… and Taichi. I feel myself connected to them in away. I just can't…'

I sighed. _'There was only one I felt so strongly in my heart-'_

__

…11010101

…001110101011111

…000010001111100001011

__

'What?' I instinctively clenched my head.

"UHHNNNMMAAAHHHHHH…"

I heard Hikari moan. Hikari was flinching and her breathing became erratic. It looked like she was having a nightmare. I came to realize that the buzzing noise in my head was back again. That strange buzzing! It was weird. I am sure she feels the buzzing too. From what I could feel now it was getting painfully irritating! I felt it was best to distance myself from Hikari immediately. I reasoned that it was the only way to stop this buzzing in our brains. I quickly made my exit from Hikari's quarters. As soon as I closed the doors and walked down the hallway, the buzzing decreased.

__

…00011011

I continued walking hastily away…

__

…0010

Eventually, the buzzing disappeared.

I just couldn't explain what this buzzing was. It felt like… or sounded like our Digivices charging. I don't know. No one said a word about this to Gennai. Amazingly, not even Koushiro made any comment. I guessed Gennai had nothing to say about it because he didn't even notice our irritation of this thing happening in our heads. I knew the others must have felt this too. I had seen Mimi, Koushiro, and Hikari being effected by this, especially when we were in an argument. It would seem to purposely agitate us, causing us to argue and fight. If not fight, then just let us suffer a mean headache. Was this like a sensor? Maybe because we were one with our Digimon, we could sense each other within some proximity. We would be able to tell if one of us approached the other. However, sometimes it did not happen. It would happen at random. Sometimes, we felt nothing when another was near.

__

'This makes our predicament even more unsettling.'

~~~

****

Late Afternoon…

As I made my way back to my quarters, I looked across the stone gardens of Gennai's home. In the distance was another separate structure. The wooden structure was large with a noticeable front porch, several sliding doors, a chimney, hanging flowerpots, and so forth. From what I could determine, this could be Gennai's living quarters. This was where Gennai, Mimi, and Koushiro were. It's been awhile since Gennai asked Mimi and Koushiro to join him. It was some sort of private conversation. I wondered why he wanted to speak to those two for. I hope I could ask them when they return for dinner.

With that in mind, I felt convinced and made my way to my quarters. There were a few Gekomon and Otamamon scurrying along the dimly lit hallways. As I approached, all of them made room for me to let me pass. They bowed as well as I made my way through. Their eyes were closed and the expression on their faces was that of humbleness. As soon as I passed a good distance from them, they continued on to what they were doing before I arrived.

It felt strange to be treated like this. However, I have noticed that their bowing was different to that given to Mimi and Hikari. For Mimi, they bowed lower. I think they did the same for Hikari also, but bowed even much lower. They were practically sprawled flat on the floor. Even Takeru got the same treatment, but not to the extreme as Hikari. I figured because their titles attributed to royalty. They were _Prince_ Takeru, _Princess_ Mimi and _Queen_ Hikari. I was just _Warrior_ Sora, not that I mind being treated any less than Mimi, Hikari, or Takeru. I wouldn't care less if I were just plain old _Commoner _Sora. I smiled. The full versions of the titles the Gekomon and Otamamon gave us were a bit strange. A bit melodramatic too. I only heard some of it. I am not sure if I got them all right…

Taichi, the _Knight of Courage_

Yamato, the _Soldier of Friendship_

Koushiro, the _Prophet of Knowledge?_

Jyou, the _Judge of Faith?_

Mimi, the _Princess of Purity_

Takeru, the _Prince of Hope_

Hikari, the _Queen of Light_

And me…

The _Warrior of Love_

Gennai had no say in this, nor was he responsible. It was all the Gekomon and Otamamon's doing. These titles were not very imaginative to say the least. All of them were just plain silly of you asked me.

__

'Well, Mimi and Hikari do seem like the Princess and Queen to me. I kind of laugh about little Takeru being a prince.'

They deserved it I guess. They are very special friends to me. I especially felt this sense of protectiveness for Mimi and Hikari. I have been that way for a long time. Well, being the only girls among a bunch of boys in a strange world would do that. To tell the truth, Mimi and Hikari were the only _girl_ friends I have. I mostly make friends with boys. Other girls my age never socialized with me because of my… I heard these girls refer to it as… my _tomboy_ reputation.

__

'Peh…'

Of course I did care for everyone else equally in our team. Taichi, Koushiro, Takeru, Jyou, and even Yamato were great friends to have. Still, I would go to needless lengths to make sure both Mimi and Hikari were safe and well, even to the point beyond Taichi's responsibility as a big brother and our leader. I have treated even Takeru with the same protectiveness. Mother like? That was just the kind of person I am. It almost cost me my life when this obsession strengthened by my fear overpowered me into this psychic trap. I put so much responsibility in the safety of others, yet I doubt I could actually make any difference at all. I felt hopeless when the others started to leave the group. Yamato… then Mimi… then Jyou… With fear of not knowing what would happen to them, I fell into that place that created a visual depth of the darkness I carried.

But now, I no longer feared that I couldn't trust myself to protect the ones I care about. I have also learned to trust the abilities of others. I knew now that they could take care of themselves as well. Mimi and Hikari especially have changed so much for the better. Still my responsibility to care for them, and all of my friends, remained. But I was no longer constrained in fearing for all.

I guessed I was more of Mimi and Hikari's protector in a royal sense. I was like a royal bodyguard. I have started to realize that now. The design of my sword demonstrates that as well. It was a rapier type from that of a noble time.

I clenched my Digivice…

__

…building…

I felt the ever lasting essence of Nyokimon, Pyocomon, Piyomon, Birdramon, and Garudamon…

__

…power…

Hikari was the first to unleash her Soul Blade. The rest of us easily followed suit. Gennai said it was all a matter of concentration. Searching for that familiar feeling when our Digimon digivolved. The Soul Blades were some sort of representation of our fused Digimon. A tangible part of them that we could still see and touch. Their shared strengths and weaknesses now embodied the form of a blade.

__

…SHINKA…

The familiar whistling sounds from my Digivice filled the air. In my hands, the Digivice started to glow brilliantly, yet it does not harm my eyes to gaze upon it.

__

'I feel the Digivice starting to change shape… The weight starting to shift… The once glowing Digivice in my hands was now becoming heavier… The ones and zeros emanating from it…'

As quickly as it started, the process ends.

I held the newly formed object to my eyes. In my hands was a graceful ring-hilt rapier concealed in a beautifully decorated scabbard. This was my Soul Blade. It resembled those used in the late sixteenth and earl seventeenth century. The time of dueling in the field of honor. The sharp mirror blade of unearthly forged steel was narrow with the traditional diamond cross section. The blade stretched one hundred twenty centimeters (120 cm) in length. On the blade itself, the heart shaped Crest of Love was etched along with stylized feather wings within swirling clouds.

Within the ring-hilt design were steel bars that looked like the wings and talons of Birdramon. Also connected to the hilt and grip was a silver blade collar or ring with etched hieroglyphs in the Digimon language. I knew this ring from what Piyomon had around her left foot. The twisting hilt design ended as the sword's guard. The grip looked like it was made from polished bone accented by a twisting wire. The pommel resembled the shape and designs of the head and mask of Garudamon. The entire sword did represent my Digimon in a way. Koushiro pointed out that it was like my name, it was the _Sword of the Sky_. Even the leather-like scabbard was decorated with gold etchings of feather wings and clouds. Yamato said it should be called _Wing Blade_. I sort of agreed with that. However, I ended up calling it the _Phoenix Blade_. I did so because it was how I see my Digimon friend now and also my friends and I. Like the fiery bird, we have been reborn from the ashes.

Because I called forth my Soul Blade in a non-combat situation, the scabbard was formed. If I removed the sword from the scabbard completely, the scabbard would dissolve into computer data and disappear within the sword matrix. This sort of adds to the strength of the Soul Blade. If I unleashed my sword for a fight to the death, no scabbard will be formed. It will be just my Soul Blade, the rapier… the _Sword of the Sky_… the _Wing Blade…_

The _Phoenix Blade_…

Concentrating again…

__

…taika…

My sword and scabbard began to glow brightly. I felt the weight and shape start to change. In an instant, the once glowing mass in my hand was now my Digivice. I held the Digivice closer. The Digivice was practically inseparable from me being now. Not like before. We could never lose it nor could we just simply throw it away and forget about it. It will always be there when we needed it. It was the source of our life… the key to our survival… It was our ticket home.

__

'I remembered that time when my friends found their Soul Blades…'

~~~

****

Swords of the Immortals…  
The Soul Blades

**__**

Yagami, Hikari…  
HEAVENLY BLADE

Hikari's Soul Blade was a _katana_ samurai sword. The one hundred and two centimeters (102 cm) sharp mirror polished curved blade was forged from an unearthly steel alloy. The full-tang blade was complete with _midare-ba_ or a _confused_ temper line with beautiful surface engravings from hilt to tip. The engravings were of flowers, streamers, feathers, and the Crest of Light. It also had a beautifully crafted golden steel _tsuba_ or sword guard that looked like the wings of an angel. A golden tail-like coil around the tang served as the grip. The tail began at the hilt and coiled down to the end. The tail resembled Gatomon's. At the end where the tail flared was what appeared to be Gatomon's gold ring etched with the glyphs of the Digital World. Hikari's little whistle was attached to it with a string.

Later on, Hikari formed the matching black marbled finish _saya_ or scabbard. The scabbard had the same coiled tail design on the _koiguichi_ or scabbard mouth. Plus there were special slots on the scabbard that held double _kogatana_, or mini tanto knives, decorated with angel figures. Overall, Hikari's sword was beautiful but ultimately deadly. I could sense she did not like the whole idea of it all. It was bad having the thought of her beloved Digimon friend now being a deadly weapon. She immediately reformed her sword back into her Digivice and remained in an uncomfortable silence.

**__**

Takaishi, Takeru…  
EXCALIBUR

No doubt when we saw Takeru's Soul Blade, we immediately thought about Holy Angemon's energy blade. Yet this was a sword of metal. Again forged from an unearthly origin, the design was unmistakable. It was the legendary sword of the stone, the Excalibur. I have seen representations of this sword before. The extremely long mirror polished blade had gold stylized etchings of various angelic patterns and writings of the Digimon language. The beautiful gold guard was also etched in various writings and angelic winged designs. I think one of the symbols was that of the _Pendragon_ Seal. The grip was wrapped in a black leather-like material. The large gold circular medallion pommel was shaped to that of the Crest of Hope. There was no scabbard to go with Takeru's Soul Blade.

The overall length was over one hundred fifty-two centimeters (152 cm)! It was taller than Takeru! I thought it would be too difficult to wield or much less lift. However, in Takeru's hands it was practically weightless to him. It looked like a two-handed great sword, but Takeru could wield it with just one! Takeru seemed to like his Soul Blade, but that would change later once we found out why we had the swords. When Takeru recalled his Soul Blade back into his Digivice, I saw something odd about the blade. For an instant, I thought I saw the blade edges become serrated. Also, a blood groove could have been seen running halfway down the center of the blade. I was probably the only one that noticed this.

**__**

Kido, Jyou…  
MARINE TAI CHI SWORD

Amazingly, old reliable Jyou had a _Tai Chi_ sword. His Soul Blade was a straight double-edged, or _ken_, blade of tempered steel. The mirror-polished blade was a whopping one hundred and two centimeters (102 cm) in length. The blue steel hand guard had intricate detailing of various marine-life. In the center of the hand guard was the Crest of Faith. The grip itself was a hard bone or ivory like material… something like tusk ivory? Violet ribbon strands could be seen on the grip. Probably a representation of Gomamon's striped fur. At the end of the grip was a metal pommel that was designed to look like Zudomon's head. Two red tassels that matched Gomamon's _mohawk_ adorned the end of the pommel. It was used to blind and confuse the opponent while in motion. A matching scabbard was made from the same ivory like material with metal fittings.

I was surprised Jyou had a Tai Chi sword. I thought he would have Zudomon's hammer or something. This was a deadly weapon if wielded in the right hands, more preferably in the hands of a Tai Chi Master. A weapon that required absolute flexibility, dexterity, control, and more importantly, grace. Judging from my knowledge in Tai Chi swords, the blade would sometimes bend to the soul of the wielder. From what I have seen in Jyou, I saw none of those things. Plus, he was even taller now, maybe even lankier. But I shouldn't underestimate Jyou. He has been able to keep his talents as well as his feelings hidden very well.

**__**

Tachikawa, Mimi…  
ROSEWOOD ZATOICHI

The design of Mimi's Soul Blade was surprising. At first I thought it was an ordinary walking staff. It looked like a one hundred forty centimeters (140 cm) long staff made entirely out of dark rosewood with a beautiful rich lacquered finish. Intricate design works of flowers, leaves, and vines decorated the rosewood staff and were carved painted in color. A reminisce of Palmon and her digivolved forms. I thanked God, that Mimi would be blessed with a non-lethal weapon. I knew that she, after seeing the others' Soul Blade, would not even touch any blade weapon. Mimi shared my relief.

However, our relief was short lived when Mimi noticed a separation about thirty centimeters (30 cm) from one end of the staff. Mimi then unlocked the separation to reveal within an extremely flawless one hundred ten centimeters (110 cm) full tang straight blade complete with _hamon_ or temper line. The blade's _horimono_ engravings on the surface had depictions of vines and flowers. The tear shaped Crest of Purity was engraved on the golden _kabaki_ or blade collar.

It was then that I realized Mimi's Soul Blade was a _shikomi-zue_ or sword cane. It was a special sword immortalized by the legendary Blind Swordsman, Zatoichi. It was during the late nineteenth century of the _Meiji Restoration_ that the early Japanese government banned the wearing of swords. However, rebellious Samurai made many covert attempts to evade those laws. Thus disguising the sword within a walking staff. Strangely, Mimi calmly accepted her Soul Blade and reformed it back into her Digivice. I have never seen her call forth her blade since then.

**__**

Izumi, Koushiro…  
BAMBOO BEETLE KATANA

Koushiro was also hesitant to form his Soul Blade. As he did, in his hands was what appeared to be a one hundred thirty-two centimeters (132 cm) shaft of bamboo. After seeing Mimi's _shikomi-zue_, Koushiro's bamboo staff was not what it appeared to be. It turned out that Koushiro's Soul Blade was that of a _shirasaya_, or a special storage scabbard made from a wood material used to protect the blade within. In this case, the blade was enclosed within bamboo. The bamboo had four _culm_ sections that were equally about thirty-three centimeters (33 cm) in length. On one end of a _culm_ near the node was a small golden beetle, which looked suspiciously like Tentomon.

Koushiro realized the _Tentomon_ was a button and he immediately pressed it. There was a click and the culm section separated from the remaining bamboo shaft to reveal a one hundred and two centimeters (102 cm) katana blade. It was a mirror polished full tang blade with a beautiful confused temper line or _midare-ba_. The Crest of Knowledge could be seen etched on the golden blade collar. The bamboo section served well as the grip. Unlike the other blade surfaces, this one was void of any engravings. I guess as a representation of what knowledge was to the young genius. It was _void knowledge_. There was no limit to what one can obtain.

Koushiro did not say anything as he examined his Soul Blade. He did not even say "prodigious" either. He quickly reformed his sword back into his Digivice and remained quiet to see the others' Soul Blades.

**__**

Ishida, Yamato…  
GUN BLADE

Now this was when it got even weirder… Yamato unleashed a Soul Blade unlike anything I have ever seen before. The "blade" was almost two meters long! The tempered steel blade shape was indescribable! It looked like a giant _falcata!_ Various decorative engravings along with the Crest of Friendship were on the blade _ji_ surface, between the _hamon_ and blade ridge. Instead of a normal guard, grip, and pummel, it had a revolver! It looked like an extremely exaggerated steel forged replica of the classical Colt 45 Peacemaker with wood stock grip. However, the gun looked like it could hold six .50 caliber rounds! The barrel length looked like it reached over sixty centimeters (60 cm) and runs along the blood groove of the blade. If I did not know better, I could have sworn the housed gun blade was actually able to shoot! Thankfully the gun was not loaded.

Yamato admired his Soul Blade. He did not reform it back into his Digivice yet. He was playfully turning the revolver cylinder and dry firing it. _'Little boys with their toys.'_ Amazingly, Yamato could hold the massive gun blade in one hand! The entire weapon sort of represented the Chosen Digimon of Friendship's _Mega_ form as Metal Garurumon. There was no scabbard to go with it to say the least. It scared me to think that this was the Soul Blade of Friendship.

**__**

Yagami, Taichi…  
TRIDENT CLAW

If Yamato's Soul Blade were weird enough, nothing would have prepared us for Taichi's Soul Blade, or _Blades_. The monstrosity of a sword was over two meters in length. It appeared to be three large parallel blades joined into one grip. It looked like a long version of War Greymon's Trident Claw. The guard was oddly shaped like the various _Champion_ to _Mega_ digivolutions of Greymon's head and helmet complete with horns and mane. What was even stranger about the helmet guard were the two "eye holes." We could just see what appeared to be a closed eye underneath each of them. It did not look alive so we all figured it was part of the design. The Crest of Courage was engraved on the guard.

The shear size and beast-like attributes of the sword was extremely shocking. Taichi was able to lift and move it around easily. Hikari was very frightened of it. Perhaps everyone was too including Yamato. Taichi quickly reformed his Soul Blades back into his Digivice. He gave Hikari a reassuring hug that she will not have to see the _Trident Claw_ ever again.

__

'I doubt that now.'

It was strange for all of us… We also obtained some sort of knowledge of metallurgy as well. I mean, I am not an expert, but I somehow knew enough of each other's sword. However, none of us have any experience of how to wield our swords. However, with practice, we could easily learn. Still, nobody was prepared for what would be our fate…

__

'Could we do it?'

~~~

****

Dojo Entrance  
Present thoughts…

I made my way to this place that Gennai referred to as the _dojo_ of his home. I was not sure why I wanted to come here now. Now of all times! In my mind I just reasoned that I should practice wielding my _Phoenix Blade_. I knew I would be alone here. Maybe it would be a good idea to practice. It would get my mind off everything regarding our fate, despite the fact that practicing with my sword would be part of it.

Before entering the dojo, I brought my right fist to touch the open palm of my hand directly in front of me. With a slight bowing motion I did the traditional _Kempo_ bow at the dojo doors. I then took off my boots and socks in tradition. However, I knew I would have to eventually train with my boots on in the days ahead. Maybe I would also have to train barefoot on various surfaces like stone, dirt, sand… Hell, molten rock for all I cared!

I entered the dojo and stood in the center. It was an elegant dojo a design from so long ago. Lots of space to work with. Surrounding the training floor were simple wooden doors… hard floor… thatched mat… mirrors… It was perfect.

I called forth my Soul Blade again…

__

…SHINKA…

Instantly, the _Phoenix Blade_ was in my hand again. I took a deep breath and slowly unsheathed the blade completely from the scabbard. As I had expected, the scabbard started to dissolve into computer particles and merged into my Soul Blade. The scabbard was useless for what I was about to do any ways. With a scabbard discarded completely, the naked blade would mean a fight to the death.

Thinking of the rules, I began…

~~~

****

What I remembered…

"What the hell is this about, Gennai?" Yamato demanded.

"Parts of the Digimon data have manifested themselves as swords," Gennai replied.

"I see, since they cannot be released from us, they generate weapons of defense. Just like they have protecting us before we got fused," Koushiro speculated. For once, I think I understood what he meant.

"For us to defend ourselves from evil Digimon, right?" I asked.

Gennai looked at me and said, "In a way, but not entirely. No, these swords will not be used against any Digimon or any evil threat since there are no evil Digimon now. Thanks to you."

Taichi then asked, "So, these swords are just for combat readiness? Is that right? We don't actually need them?"

"NO! YOU WILL BE USING THEM!" Gennai boomed.

"Okay…" Taichi said as he sweat dropped.

I found this confusing so I addressed Gennai again. "I thought you said there was no threat-" I was about to continue but got interrupted…

"Ack! Shit! Yamato! Watch where you point that thing!"

"Sorry, dude."

"Ahem," Gennai cleared his throat.

"Huh?" Taichi said, absolutely clueless.

I sort of lost my patience. "YAMATO! WOULD YOU PLEASE PUT THAT THING AWAY!"

"Sorry…" Yamato quickly followed suit and reformed his _Gun Blade_ back into his Digivice.

Gennai let out a muffled groan but he continued, "Okay, about you question, Child of Love… You will be using your swords… against each other."

__

"WHAT?"

Gennai ignored our outburst and said, "The manifestation of your swords prove the prophecy to be correct. Let me explain about what happened to you first."

Everyone stayed quiet and waited to hear what Gennai had to say.

Gennai took a breath and spoke. "When the Digimon fused with you. You have become immortal. Unlike your formal frail organic human forms, you can now regenerate yourselves like Digimon. Even the most serious injuries imaginable, as close as to actual death, you can regenerate or heal yourselves quickly."

"Immortal? Us, Master Gennai?" Koushiro asked.

Gennai nodded and said, "Yes. For example…" Gennai turned to me and then Yamato and spoke, "Yamato? Sora?"

"Yeah," Yamato replied.

"Yes, Gennai?" I said.

He turned to me first and said, "Sora, you may not notice it now, but you _did_ break Yamato's jaw."

"She did?" Yamato gasped wide-eyed.

"I did?" I said in a quiet shocked voice.

Gennai nodded to me. "Yes. Superficial fractures and a few loose teeth…" He turned to Yamato, "Yamato, you would not be able to talk right now… much less move your head. The intensity of Sora's punch has caused a severe misalignment of your neck. The pain would be unbearable if you even attempt to move your head."

"Teeth? My neck?" Yamato was already checking his teeth and moved his head, neck, and jaw.

"I knocked some teeth loose?" I asked.

Yamato finally finished his… _diagnostics_. "But I feel fine!" he said.

Gennai laughed. "Of course. That is the point of being immortal."

"So, I quickly healed then."

"Yes."

I found this all fascinating! The idea of us being immortal was… like a dream! I mean, WOW! Unfortunately, the only thing on my mind was… "Hey, Yamato. Can I hit you again? I want to make sure about this immortal thing."

Needless to say, everyone screamed at me with jaws hanging open.

__

"SORA!"

"NO WAY!" cried Yamato.

"SHIT! WHAT'S UP WITH YOU SORA?" I heard Taichi say.

Realization finally hit me of what I just asked Yamato. What brought that on? I felt myself turning red. With a nervous grin, I tried to say, "Sorry… I was just curious."

Yamato groaned in irritation. "What if I break YOUR neck just to satisfy YOUR curiosity, Sora?" Yamato threatened as he loomed over me.

"Okay… okay… Sorry…" I pleaded as I slowly backed away from Yamato. I was still probably making that goofy grin.

Yamato just shook his head in disbelief.

Just then we heard a voice mutter, _"Riiiight…"_

We all turned back to see Gennai looking not so pleased.

"CAN I FINISH HERE?" he boomed.

"Er… Yes, please… sir…" Taichi stuttered. Everyone else just slowly nodded in agreement. We did not want to upset the _Host_ any further.

Satisfied, Gennai continued, "Being immortal means another thing. You cannot die or be killed."

"You mean we can't die?" Jyou asked.

"Exactly!" Gennai responded.

"COOL!" Takeru said.

"Amazing," Jyou said as he stroked his chin. He turned to Yamato and said, "Otherwise, I would have considered wrapping bathroom tissue around your broken jaw, Yamato. Serious fractures within the lower jaw line would cause life threatening infections and-"

Yamato just groaned. "That would have been so kind of you, Jyou."

"You cannot age either," we heard Gennai say.

"Come again?" I asked.

Gennai turned away from me with his arms crossed behind his back. "Well, let me put it this way. Right now, all of you are at the minimum age of human physiological maturity. After your human puberty, I might add." He turned his head to look at me.

"You mean, I would stay the same age, Master Gennai?" Mimi finally spoke.

Gennai turned to face Mimi. "Precisely, Child of Purity. Of course, because of the time remaining of the Great Reset, all of you will not be around to notice." Gennai then added, "All of you have less than a digital year."

Taichi folded his arms. "This isn't so bad. Of course, it will be fun while it lasted."

Gennai cleared his throat. "There is a catch,"

"What catch?" Yamato asked.

"There is a limit on your immortality," replied Gennai.

"You mean we are not entirely immortal or something?" Taichi said.

Gennai nodded, "Correct. That is where the swords come in."

"What about the swords, Master Gennai?" Koushiro asked.

He faced away from us again. Finally he spoke… "The only why an immortal can be mortally damaged and killed is by your Soul Blades."

Taichi gave a slight chuckle and said, "What are you getting at, Gennai? You _really_ want us to fight each other or something?"

He turned his head just enough to face Taichi. "Not just fight. You have to kill each other to get home."

"K-KILL?"

"You must all fight… to the death."

__

"DEATH?"

Gennai nodded. "By decapitation from each other's Soul Blade."

~~~

****

Dojo  
Present thoughts…

__

'Von Tag…'

Falcon Guard…

Thrust… Perry…

__

My sword… like an extension of my body… it is a part of me…

__

A dance…

__

"KYAHH!"

A fake to the right… _Anticipate the counter by my opponent._

__

'Wechsel…'

~~~

****

More from Gennai…

"In the end of every battle, the Victor will… inherit or fuse with the DNA of the Fallen. This is known in the prophecy as the Quickening. Only one can bring all of you home."

"Why?" Taichi began.

Gennai sighed in irritation, "LOOK, THAT IS NOT IMPORTANT! LET ME LAY OUT THE RULES SO YOU ALL CAN UNDERSTAND!"

Everyone silently nodded.

"Okay…" Gennai began to slowly pace about the room. "First off, you all must engage in a duel of Soul Blades. Of all of you, the battles are fought one against one." Gennai stopped pacing and added, "Another thing that is important is that you must also face the correct opponent at the correct time."

"Each of us must know who to fight and when?" I asked.

"Correct."

"How would we know?" asked Takeru.

"You will know…" Gennai trailed off. I could have sworn he was grinning under that mustache of his.

"Um, excuse me… Master Gennai?" Koushiro started. "You said… the _Quickening?_"

Gennai nodded. "It is an old term that I have incorporated with your current… situation. Traditionally, the _Quickening_ was once a term used in your world to describe the first discernible movement of a fetus in Mother's womb. A relatively crude way of determining judgment on any life form, but it translates as the phase in which the fetus shows the first signs of life."

"Interesting," Koushiro said.

"Now this _force_ you will have is something like that, the spark of life. It is sort of like a fusion within you. It will be surge of energy passing through you, much like digivolving. Once you have defeated your opponent, the fusion will begin. The fusion of the Victor and the Fallen. Much like you and your Digimon within you."

"Master Gennai?" It was Mimi.

"Hmm?"

"What will happen to… the _Fallen?_" Mimi paused and added, "The… dead?"

Gennai turned to Mimi and replied, "Once the Quickening has passed, the body of the Fallen will… undergo… fragment resolution-" Gennai stopped as he noticed that Mimi was about to cry again. Gennai sighed and walked up to her. He placed his reassuring hands onto hers and said calmly, "To put your mind at ease, Child of Purity… No body will remain. No corpse will be around to see."

I sort of felt better when he said this, as with the most of us. I am not sure if it made Mimi feel any different though.

Gennai continued to pace as he spoke, "Like a vessel in which the soul is kept. The Victor will be able to carry the actual soul and more souls of the Fallen. Everything that makes who you are… the power, essence, knowledge… everything will be inherited by the Victor through the mystical process of the Quickening. The more 'vessels' the Victor defeats, the more stronger and skilled he or she will become… AND…" Gennai stopped in his tracks.

"AND?" asked everyone.

He turned to us and said, "The Chosen Digimon of the Fallen will be released! Alive and well."

"Alive?" asked Hikari who was silent the whole time.

"Yes, Child of Light," Gennai said. "They will no longer be as Soul Blades."

A bit of relief started to wash over our group at the thought of seeing our Digimon again, but it soon died down. It still would end up as us having to kill each other to do so! We just remained silent, still trying to coupe with everything Gennai has said to us.

All of a sudden…

"ANOTHER IMPORTANT THING!"

Everyone jumped. Then all eyes focused on Gennai again…

Gennai lifted his left foot to examine whatever was interesting under his red sneaker. He placed his foot down and said very calmly, "Siblings cannot fight each other. The Quickening will not work if one defeats his or her own flesh and blood."

"Why not, Master Gennai?" asked Koushiro.

"Genetics, my boy. That sort of thing. Relation by blood… Only those of _unique_ blood lines can accomplish and receive the Quickening."

"Huh?" Taichi asked. "Why?"

All of a sudden, Gennai appeared on Taichi's shoulders and back! Before anyone could react, Gennai was grinding his fist into Taichi's thick skull while yelling…

"I DON'T KNOW EXACTLY WHY! SOMETHING TO DO WITH THE OTHER PROPHECIES! JUST ACCEPT IT! _OKAY?_"

~~~

****

Dojo  
Present thoughts…

__

'Oberhut…'

So… Siblings cannot fight one another. Only those of unique blood lines. I later exchanged glances with Mimi, Jyou, and Koushiro. I then looked back at Taichi and Hikari, then Yamato and Takeru.

__

'So this was how it's going to be.'

__

'Now how do we begin?'

It was clear that Taichi and Hikari could not fight each other, so too with Yamato and Takeru. This would just leave Mimi, Koushiro, Jyou, and I against one of them at a time. Someone will have to take one of the siblings out! But I know that would be impossible. The degree Taichi and Yamato guard their siblings with their lives. Half brother or not, Yamato would never let anyone harm Takeru. Still for anyone to go after Hikari and Takeru was just plain wrong to begin with! The only way I could think of was that Taichi and Yamato have to be taken out first! Unless they fight each other! They cancel themselves out of the sibling equation. Unless, Mimi, Koushiro, Jyou, and I fight each other out. That would leave the Yagami's and the… Ishi… no Yamato and Takeru to fight each other!

__

'That would work!'

__

'But is it the right way?'

__

'Still, what would happen if Hikari and Takeru were left to fight?'

__

'And what about Mimi, Koushiro, Jyou and I?'

I knew there was tension between Jyou and Koushiro. Some silly rivalry over Mimi, which Mimi had no clue that it was happening. Well, it was Jyou that kept bringing it up in Koushiro's face. Still, I am sure they won't let that fuel them to fight each other with swords. They are friends none the less. Just as I am protective of the others, I can't find the heart to fight Mimi. She was not a fighter! If it came down to just the both of us, I would let her win my head… However… Mimi must also…

"SHIT! I FORGOT!"

I thrust my sword into thin air… _Through the very heart of my opponent…_

__

'Morteschlag!'

~~~

****

The Old Man rants on…

"There is more! In order for the Quickening to happen, both combatants must have high battle gage levels… or battle aura."

"What does that mean?" asked Yamato.

"He means our Digivices," Koushiro replied.

"Come again, Izzy," Taichi asked.

Koushiro turned to Gennai and asked, "Master Gennai?"

Gennai nodded. "By all means, Child of Knowledge."

Koushiro smiled and addressed the rest of us. "I'll put it in Layman's terms for all of you to get the gist of it."

"Yeah… whatever…" Jyou muttered.

He took a breath and spoke. "In the past, our Digimon's power attacks, damage, and evolution reserves are shown as a bar gage on our Digivices. For our Digimon to effectively use an attack, defend, or evolve to the next level, the Digivice gage must be within full reserve margin. Already our Digimon are successful in the regulation of energy, therefore they can sustain themselves in any condition, whether in battle or rest. Like measuring battle aura."

"Like a video game!" exclaimed Takeru.

Koushiro gave Takeru a smile. "Correct, Takeru! It is not just how much they have rested or how much food they intake. It is the experience of combat while using that energy. The actual battles of our Digimon would create a detectable energy source via Digivice. Not only does our Digivices measure current power levels, but also provides a bypass boost of channeled energy. Enough power to strengthen a Digimon's current technique, to achieve a new technique, or to digivolve. Now in our case, it applies the same way. If we engage in swordplay, our Digivices will coordinate our strength and battle aura."

"Battle aura from our fighting…" I reasoned.

Koushiro nodded to my reasoning. "Yes, only in actual fighting would our aura be detectable by our Digivices. The Digivice would undergo the same bypass energy channeling, being about to regulate the energy through defense and attack."

I then said, "And because our Digivices are our swords now…"

"Then it is us and our swords… My theory is that this is how the Quickening can finally be observed, obtained, and channeled." Koushiro turned to Gennai. "Am I right, Master Gennai?"

"Correct, Child of Knowledge. Well said," Gennai commended. "The high battle aura gage applies to the Victor and the Fallen. Both must actually fight. No cheating! No sneak attack! No ganging up on one fighter! One at a time, one against one! Your inner crest prevents any fallacy in fighting!"

"Our Crests…" Takeru said.

"Yes. You must fight not in anger or hatred. You must feel that unique power from each of your respective Crests. Exactly how is something you must discover on your own."

"Great. Another chore to worry about," Yamato grumbled.

Gennai suddenly appears behind Yamato. I was not sure if it was intentional for what Gennai said next… "No suicide either! If you do not have the necessary power gage level, the person that is decapitated will die mortally. He or she will be lost forever. Seeing an actual decomposing decapitated corpse is not a pleasant sight."

~~~

****

Dojo  
Present thoughts…

__

'Zornhut…'

The one thing that mattered most of all! The battle gage within the Digivice must be high! Our battle aura must be high! Like some _mother –king_ video game! That was the sure thing to achieve the Quickening after each duel to the death! How would we accomplish that? We have to be at each other's throats to do so! We had to do this for real! We do have to fight to the death! How can we? How can we just turn our friendships away and just go after each other's heads? None of us would want to do it!

A quick vertical slash through the air… _Slicing the ribcage open…_

__

'Zwerchhau.'

__

'It was the only way to go home…'

__

'The only way…'

__

'Who will be the one?'

__

'I prey neither would be the innocent.'

Forward spin… high horizontal slash… _The head of my opponent… falls to the floor…_

__

'Was sehrt, das lehrt.'

~~~

****

Yet, more from the old bag…

"Oh yes, and another thing…" He ignored the numerous groans around the room and continued, "There is to be no fighting on holy ground."

"What holy ground, Master Gennai?" Mimi asked.

"What we consider holy in the Digital World are places like the Primary Village. Rebirthing grounds. A place of worship like the Bakumon shrines. And my home."

"Your home is holy ground?" I asked.

Gennai unexpectedly boomed, "IN MY OPINION, YES! IN OTHER WORDS, THERE IS TO BE NO FIGHTING IN MY HOME! I DON'T WANT ANYBODY CRASHING THROUGH MY PAPER DOORS LIKE ONE OF YOUR SAMURAI TELEVISION DRAMAS!"

"…"

"…"

"…"

__

"Ooooookaaaay…"

"Good!" Gennai then mumbled, "Then, I won't go into _sterility_ either."

"You mean our blades must be sterilized?" Jyou asked.

"No… It's nothing. Um, look. Just forget I mentioned about the _sterility_ part. Okay?" Gennai said quickly. Gennai then cleared his throat, and said, "Like I said before, there can be only one _Victor_. Only _one_ can bring you all home."

"But, Gennai…" It was Jyou again.

"Yes, Child of Faith?"

Jyou nervously combed his fingers through his hair. "We know nothing about using swords. Much less chopping off the heads of our friends!"

"I did not say it was going to be easy."

"NO SHIT!" Jyou yelled.

Gennai just continued, "Look, the Prophecy speaks for itself. All of you must now follow the right path to get home. I trust you will be able to do it. You have all remarkably succeeded in profiling every Prophecy."

"Right… As long it doesn't mean to beheading anyone," Jyou muttered in sarcasm.

Taichi said to him, "Calm down, Jyou. You think having a huge arrow of pure energy get shot through the heart _easy?_"

"Taichi's right. Ordering my Digimon to shoot my Brother, was the most gut wrenching decision I have ever made!" Takeru added.

Yamato smiled and added, "It may be hard, but I know we can achieve this. We will get home!"

I just nodded in agreement. Mimi nodded too. She was a bit uneasy but confident. This was the only way home.

Jyou finally calmed down. "I _do_ understand, guys. Thank you." He then said, "But keep in mind… I will be puking one way or another, even if my head is separated from my the rest of my body."

Everyone else laughed with Jyou… except Hikari and…

"AHEM!"

The laughter died down.

Gennai then spoke again, "Remember, Children, the goal is NOT to die as a mortal. Breaking the rules, decapitating a sibling or one with low battle aura… surely you will fail. You must achieve the Quickening for every duel no matter what! AND if any one of you die a mortal, all of you or who ever is left in the Digital World… will forever loose the chance to return to your world."

He took a breath and said very slowly, "The Chosen Children… Generation 07… the DigiDestined of Japan… will not return home. You will be trapped here forever."

~~~

****

Dojo…

__

'I the Victor.'

__

'The Fallen before my feet.'

I kneel down… _I wipe the bloody filth from my sword onto the headless corpse._

__

'Finished.'

~~~

****

The Troll was not yet finished…

"Now that I have settled this, you may go about your way. You may stay here for a few days to figure it out. I may remind you that you have about the time of a Digital year to get your asses back in your world." Gennai then made his way to the exit.

"One ass would describe it better," I heard Yamato mumble.

"Err… Sora?" It was Taichi.

Surprised, I looked at him, "Yes, Taichi?"

"Could you accompany Hikari to her room? She's… not feeling well."

"Oniisan? I want you to be with me." Hikari pleaded.

"What's wrong, Hikari?" I looked at her in concern. "Are you ill?" I asked. _'Not that I blamed her for hearing all that bullshit from Gennai.'_

Taichi spoke for her. "Nothing… She's just tired, for now." He turned to look at Hikari. "Don't worry, Sis. I will be around. I just need to talk to with Yamato. We'll be together when it is dinner time."

"But…" Hikari tried to say but was interrupted by…

Gennai again…

"Child of Knowledge… Child of Purity… Could you two join me for awhile?"

Mimi and Koushiro looked at each other in confusion and then at Gennai.

Gennai added, "Privately."

~~~

****

Dojo  
Present thoughts…

I am still not sure why the old troll wanted to talk to Mimi and Koushiro. Koushiro yes, but Mimi? I could tell that she too was very upset about the whole thing. Hell, everyone was just about as upset and sickened as Hikari. I just wanted to be there for Mimi too. I never got the chance to realize how she was taking all this… Immortals, Souls, and Swords…

__

'Unless, I do something… How do we even begin?'

I know martial arts. Despite my sword being of European origin, I could easily incorporate my fencing and kendo skills to accommodate my sword. I am not sure how Taichi can wield such a huge sword like the _Trident Claw_. Yet he handles it as if there was no weight to it. Taichi had only a little experience in martial arts but he was still flexible due to his soccer and weight lifting. Koushiro had studied some Aikido to take care of some bullies that pick on him. He too was flexible in soccer. Hikari, no. Her parents prevented her from participating in any extraneous physical activity because of the fear she might get sick again. I have no idea about the others. Mimi I know for sure does not know martial arts.

__

…00

…0011

I started to feel and hear the ringing in my head… The signature was familiar…

"Jyou…"

I spun around and brought the edge of my blade just a few millimeters from Jyou's neck.

"Um, I see you are taking this Soul Blade thing seriously," Jyou said.

Still I kept the blade close to his neck…

"Sora?"

__

…001110

…001010010

"Sora, come on. I did not come here to argue… not to fight either!"

__

…0111010110100

…001100101011000101

…1010101101110110100001001

"SORA!"

__

…011110101011111111111101101

"SORA!"

__

…011111111101101

"SORA!"

__

…0101000101

…0100

00

"J-Jyou?" I am not sure what happened. I blacked out for a moment, but I was sure I had Jyou in a fatal sword stance… or something.

__

'Just one stroke to end his pitiful life…'

"DAMN IT!" I finally became aware of my surroundings. I quickly retracted my sword. Instantly the sword disappears. In my hands was my Digivice.

Jyou put his hands down and breathed a sigh of relief. "Sheesh, Sora."

"I-I'm sorry Jyou… I don't know what came over me." In the back of my mind, I tried to rationalize what happened and what I would have done to Jyou. _'Why did I do that? I wanted to see the blood! My God! What's happening to me? Was it because Jyou also likes Mimi?'_

"Are you okay, Sora?" he asked.

"What are you doing here, Jyou?" I demanded ignoring his question.

Jyou was taken aback but replied nervously, "Oh, uh nothing. Just thought I take a walk."

I felt a smirk forming on my face. "I see. Can't wait to see Mimi again, huh?"

He turned away shyly and said, "Well… yeah… sort of…" I noticed he was looking in the direction where Gennai took Mimi and Koushiro.

I sighed. "Well, I am sure whatever Gennai wanted to talk to Mimi and Izzy about would be over soon. Hopefully before dinner time."

"Yeah, I guess." He turned to me and asked, "Do you any idea why Gennai wanted to see those two, Sora?"

I shrugged, "Beats me. Probably nothing. He might be just going over some stuff with them that he might do the same for each of us later on."

He smirked and said, "Unless it's about the whole _'Master'_ Gennai thing."

I couldn't help but laugh. "You noticed that too, huh?"

"Well, Izzy does show admiration for the Old Geezer. However, I am not sure why he used 'Master.' Now Mimi's doing it.

I shrugged. "What can I say? _Master_ Gennai does sound a bit over the top. Probably the Gekomons and Otamamons doing again." I then added, "Right, _Judge of Faith?_"

Jyou's faced turned sour. "Don't even start!"

I stiffened a laugh and said, "Well, I am sure on Mimi's part that she was showing noble respect for the elderly. She followed suit accordingly by following Izzy's example."

He nodded in agreement, "I guess you right. Especially when Gennai calls us by our Cre-"

__

"GENNAI! WHY DIDN'T YOU TELL US?"

"What the-" Jyou was about to say.

"That sounded like-"

"MIMI!" we both said in unison.

That was Mimi! What the hell were they talking about in there? That was the first time I ever heard her use contractions! Both Jyou and I exchanged confused glances at each other and in the direction Mimi's voice was coming from.

__

"YOU WERE GOING TO LET US LEAVE HERE WITHOUT US KNOWING?"

I did not like this.

Jyou and I scrambled outside through the dojo doors. I came across a giant column of water where the force field and Gennai's home separated. The force field held the water from crashing in and flooding the place. The sound of something I would describe as a pleasant sound of white noise emitted from the water column. The closer I came to the water column, the white noise increased. There was a current that was building up in the column, which increased the white noise as well. Directly across from us was the backside of where Gennai asked Mimi and Koushiro to join him. From the distance I could see Mimi running out. She looked really upset. She sat on one of the bench and started to cry.

"MIMI!" I yelled.

It was no use! The water column made it impossible for my voice to travel through. Also, the column was like a barrier that separated Jyou and I from Mimi. The entire path was blocked. I could not make my way across unless I walked back into the house's maze-like structures and retrace my steps to where Mimi was. That would take time. It would be too dangerous to just break through the force field even if I could. Immortal or not, I couldn't risk it. All I could do was watch Mimi helplessly from a distance.

I don't think she could even see us either. Judging by how the rays of the overhead sun were angled from above, a mirror effect would happen. The column from Mimi's point of view would look like giant liquid mirrored barrier. She would only see her reflection and others around her and not beyond the other side. I have seen this happen. It was useless. She had no idea we were watching her.

I wanted so much to comfort her. It always hurts me when I see her crying. Especially like this. It was when she never makes a sound. Tears pour from her eyes. A look of sadness in her eyes, almost like seeing the sadness of her soul. Never bawling when she was in this state. Never once blinking. Staring at nothing… Just silent tears.

__

'What was all that she meant about leaving? What did Gennai say to her? And where's Izzy?'

Just then Koushiro appeared and quickly sat down by Mimi's side on the bench. Upon sensing Koushiro's presence, Mimi immediately stood up to face him. Koushiro followed suit. Mimi never did look up to meet his gaze. Tears were still falling from her eyes. Koushiro stepped closer to Mimi. He then gently placed both his hands on the sides of Mimi's face. I saw Koushiro say something to her. I wished I could hear him. Mimi's eyes finally met Koushiro's. More tears flowed from Mimi. Koushiro gently removed some tears. He too had tears forming in his eyes. Mimi did the same by brushing away a few of his tears.

All of a sudden they started to… smile? I watched intently as smiles were finally forming on their faces. There were definitely smiles of joy! This was so… captivating! Koushiro and Mimi so close to each other… This picture was worth a thousand words! All I could guess now that they were close enough to… kiss!

I watched…

Still they haven't moved.

I couldn't help but feel jealous as I watched them together being a bit more… intimate. I guessed I shouldn't be. I knew it would be like this. It was too late for me. It didn't matter though. This was for the best. Koushiro and Mimi were so perfect for each other. Despite the obvious clash of personalities… they do belong to each other.

All I could do was watch…

The only thoughts swimming in my mind were…

__

'I wished that I was out there.'

__

'I wished that I was the one…'

__

'…holding Mi-'

"_That_ sneaky little –_uck!_" I heard a voice mutter.

__

'What?'

I finally awoke from my daydream. I realized I had forgotten about Jyou. I looked at Jyou and almost gasped. It was that same look Jyou has when he sees Mimi and Koushiro together. It was even fiercer than before, mainly because his eyes were no longer shielded by thick framed glasses. Yet I could not help but feel sorry for him. I sort of feel the same way. But for me, I couldn't have gotten the chance to begin with. But for Jyou… he tried so hard to make Mimi notice the he liked her a lot. Despite the obvious age difference between the two, Jyou fell in love with the young Mimi. With them being in adult bodies, it was even more apparent.

But Mimi never noticed this. Jyou, like a fool, all this time never actually revealed to Mimi his true feelings for her. Things became worse when Mimi was hanging around with Koushiro a lot now. Not that they were doing anything romantic. Mimi and Koushiro did share the same interests like computers. Not to mention they were the same age with practically close birthdays. That made them become closer friends. That was just that, being friends. However, Jyou thought differently. He was just plain jealous of Koushiro getting all of Mimi's attention. Didn't he realize that he was their closest friend too? Especially when Mimi and Koushiro, next to Hikari and Takeru, were the young ones in our group. They were not into silly crushes and so forth like we _elder_ DigiDestined were. But not in Jyou's eyes.

__

'That fool! He being the eldest of all should have known better! He shouldn't act this way!'

I sighed. _'I guess it is true of what they say about hormones…'_

"Izzy… Stay away from her, you _–UCKING FREAK!_" Jyou spat in venom.

__

'Oh no, not this again!' I thought in disgust.

Finally I yelled to him, "_JYOU!_"

Jyou did not say anything, nor did he even acknowledge my presence anymore. I noticed that he started to frantically feel something around his nose. I was looking at his actions in confusion. Finally I figured out what he was trying to do… He did too. Jyou then stopped with the frantic movements and cursed himself. It took him awhile to realize that he was NOT _wearing glasses anymore_!

__

'Poor Jyou…'

Without a word, he stormed off back to the living quarters of Gennai's home. He accidentally… or purposely collided, shoved, and kicked some Otamamon and Gekomon that came across his path. One poor Gekomon got a nasty hit in the groin area… if they had any. However, the Gekomon seemed to regain whatever composure it had and continued on its way. A strange mix of pain, fear, and confusion was kept hidden by its usual awkward joyfulness plastered on its face. As it walked, it staggering a bit to the left… then the right. I guess it was still a nasty hit in some sort of _sensitive area_.

__

'Ouch. Poor Frog…'

I shook my head sadly and turned my attention back to the dynamic duo. I continued to watch that very touching scene. They kept themselves in that position for awhile now. Koushiro, with his hands on the sides of Mimi's face… Mimi, holding on to Koushiro's hand… It looked so perfect! Koushiro was now just a few centimeters taller than Mimi was. The both of them were able to stare into each other's eyes… More tears flowed from their eyes. Tears of love. It was like a really sappy cliché soap opera being played out right before my eyes! I figured they finally realized they loved each other.

__

'I knew Izzy losing his laptop would end up being a good thing!'

__

'Izzy… so perfect for Mimi…'

__

'Mimi… so beautiful…'

I waited a bit longer…

They were so close…

__

'Just kiss.'

They were not moving.

I was tapping my foot…

__

'ARRGH! Just kiss already, you guys! What are you waiting for?'

They never even moved.

I groaned, "I wished they just would kiss each other now!"

Then as if they heard me, they moved and…

…they _hugged_ each other!

My face faulted and I almost collapsed on the floor. I regained my composure. I shook my head of what had just happened… or what _did NOT_ happen.

__

'It must be the Crest of Love that was screwing with my mind!'

Finally sighed, "So much for those two to be romantic. Those kids. They wer-"

I trailed off when all of a sudden a strange man appeared from the building Mimi and Koushiro were once in. The stranger _looked_ like a man… It did not look like anyone I have seen before. It sure was not the short balding old Gennai.

__

'What? Who is that?'

The man looked strange. He was very tall compared to Mimi and Koushiro. He was almost the combined height of the both of them. He wore the same black and red robes with strange protruding cables that Gennai wore. Except these robes were tailored to fit the stranger's towering height. I think he also wore red… sneakers. Still his back was to me. I could not see the face. Only long black hair passing the shoulders. His hands were bare. They were pale white.

__

'The clothes… Is that who I think it is?'

Mimi and Koushiro released themselves from their embrace and confronted the tall stranger. Both of them were holding each other's hand. Mimi on Koushiro's left and Koushiro on Mimi's right. The two seem to engage in a conversation with the stranger. I could not hear any of what they were saying because of the white noise from the water column being louder now. Mimi and Koushiro were also listening intently. I watched… Mimi seems to smile in relief… Koushiro too… They both hug the stranger. I calmed down. Everything looked fine… I think. Mimi was okay.

Still, I wondered what had happened to upset Mimi. Koushiro too. And who was that? It would seem they know him. I could ask them later at dinnertime. I hoped this stranger appears too. Mimi finally dried her tears. It was then that I finally noticed something very odd about Mimi. Her eyes were… black… Black! The once beautiful caramel-colored eyes of Mimi were gone!

__

'Black? What's happening here? Has something happened to Mimi's eyes?' Maybe it was just a trick of the light and the water column separating us.

Then Gennai approaches… The same old bald troll!

__

'If that's Gennai…' I looked at the taller figure with Mimi and Koushiro. _'I did not know there were other humans here! Not that I would consider Gennai human. Unless… Is this stranger also a Digimon?'_

Gennai and the Stranger started to walk further in the vastness of Gennai's home. Gennai turned around and gestured for Mimi and Koushiro to follow them. Koushiro and Mimi, still joined hand-in-hand, followed Gennai and the tall stranger. They were walking to another part of Gennai's home that any of us have not yet even ventured to.

I decided that maybe I should follow them… just to be safe. This was all too strange. I was worried about Mimi and Koushiro

__

'Her black colored eyes were just an illusion, right?'

~~~

****

Wandering around Gennai's home…

__

'Shit! Blocked!'

I walked up to yet another set of double doors. I grabbed the doorknob and twisted…

__

CRACK!

The doorknob broke off in my hands!

"What the hell?" This was not even a door! Just a wall with stupid doorknobs! I turned around to find another why around. Without looking where, I hurled the broken doorknob away…

__

WHACK!

__

"Ack!"

I looked across the hallway. _'Now how do I get around here now?'_

"Warrior Sora?"

I swirled around to the source of the voice. It was another Gekomon right next to my feet. It was rubbing some sort of sore spot on its head. The spot was red and swelling as if something hard just hit the Digimon. I decided to just ignore the Gekomon. I had better things to take care of. I continued searching for another path to take as I stormed down yet another hallway.

All of a sudden, that same Gekomon walked up in front of me. It gave me that stupid bow again and said, "Sorry to interrupt your… exercise, Warrior Sora, but-"

I just about had enough with this! It was bad enough I couldn't find my way around this stupid place! But being continuously bothered by this Gekomon addressing me with that stupid title was pissing me off!

"GET OUT OF MY WAY, DAMN IT!"

I felt compelled to call forth my Soul Blade and slice that _–king_ frog in half!

The Gekomon quickly made way for me and sprawled itself on the floor. I felt a sudden rush of superiority like a Master to a Slave. A strange alien feeling… and I liked it… Satisfied, I continued my drastic search around the grounds for a way to get to where Mimi and Koushiro walked off with Gennai and that tall stranger.

Yet the Gekomon continued… "Warrior Sora?"

Master… Slave… my ASS!

"WHAT IS IT?"

The Gekomon walked up to face me. It bowed none the less. "By your orders, Warrior Sora. We have retrieved the remnants of your headwear. You wanted us to search for it in the cable car ruins and bring it back to you urgently." As it bowed, it brought up a little blue velour cushion above its head. On the cushion was my…

"My lucky hat!"

It was a gift from my Grandmother…

I seemed to forget all about Mimi and Koushiro. I knew it would take me days to figure out this place. I was sure Mimi and Koushiro were all right. They were in Gennai's care, despite that tall stranger with them. I finally relaxed.

I took my hat from the Gekomon.

The Gekomon put the cushion on the side. While still bowing, it said, "Little to no damage to the fabric. Some of the sewing came loose, but overall in perfect shape, Warrior Sora."

I looked over my hat. Beside it being several sizes too small for my adult head now, it looked in perfect shape from what I could see. The Gekomon surely have keen eyes of a true tailor to see any sewing imperfections. Well, that was what I liked about this hat. It was my Grandmother's hat when she was young. I have my Grandmother's hair too! She gave this hat to me as a gift when I was about four. It was too big then, but I grew into it. Of course I couldn't wear it now. Ever since then, I had worn it for good luck, even though it offers little protection against the elements unless it was chilly weather or hail for that matter. It was very durable and could withstand a lot of damage. It was just as good as new even after Taichi puked in it a long time ago…

__

'Stupid Tai…'

The Gekomon spoke again, "If you wish, we will repair the damage. Or we can have it modified to that of your current headgear, Warrior Sora."

I remembered the Gekomon had fashioned me a newer hat like my old one that would fit my adult sized head. They did several hats for me. One was actually made like a military _Kevlar_ helmet. I guessed they couldn't get the materials right. Mimi joked and said it could serve as a PASGT Helmet, or Personal Armor System Ground Troops helmet. It still boggled me on how much Mimi knew about this military stuff. The Gekomon agreed to make me a newer one that was softer, more like a wool cap. It was not as sturdy or tough as my Grandmother's hat, but good enough. I still haven't worn it yet. I kept in neatly folded in my coat.

Finally I said to the Gekomon, "It's fine, thank you. No need for repairs."

I decided that if there were any repair sewing to be done to my hat, I would do it myself. On the outside it looked fine. I checked the inside my hat and studied the sewing. There was my name embroidered in red on the inner band. The band sewing was a bit undone but not at all irreparable. I finally noticed that underneath the band was exposed. I folded the band over and saw in red embroidered lettering…

****

K A S U M I

__

'My Grandmother's name! I don't believe it!'

All this time I had worn this hat and I only saw my own name embroidered on the band. Well, my Grandmother was the previous owner when she was young. My Grandmother must have sewed the band up for my name. Plus it would fit better on me later on.

I was about to fold the band back in place when I noticed something else. There was something pink embroidered next to my Grandmothers name. I folded the band just a bit to see a shape of…

__

'What? A heart?'

I finally noticed something strange about the heart. The way it was sewed… The intertwining lines… It resembled the Crest of Love!

"The Crest of Love?" This was all confusing!

"I beg your pardon, Warrior Sora?" I heard the Gekomon say.

I ignored the frog. Realization hit me as I tried to put the pieces together… "Was my Grandmother part of the DigiDestined before us?"

__

'And, what about Izzy and Mimi… and the others…'

"Oh sshh-"

****

To be continued…


End file.
